My Reflection In You
by AlexandriteSky
Summary: All ANBU choose an Anima, an animal partner that will remain at their side for the rest of their lives, linked by an unbreakable connection. Drawn to each other by a bond that neither can understand or escape, Sasuke and Naruto struggle to get along; each harbor a dark past, however, that continuously threatens to tear them apart. Sasu/Naru, AU.
1. The Nursery

AlexandriteSky: As I always say in the beginning of my stories, this is **yaoi**! No likey, no read! Thank you, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

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"Congratulations on passing the ANBU exam, Uchiha-san." The attendant said in a monotone voice, her head bowed slightly as she spoke. "Though you are most likely already aware of this, the next few hours will be of utmost importance to the rest of your life. I will be your guide to the Nursery, where you can choose your very own Anima. This will be your first, and only, visit to the Nursery. The partnership between an ANBU and his Anima is a life-long bond that can be severed only by death. Please keep this in mind while making your selection, Uchiha-san."

Sasuke's head dipped in acknowledgment as she led him through a hallway that was so white that it almost blinded him. He felt out of place, covered in the grime and dirt that came with passing the gruesome exam. His weapons were covered in blood, and they hung loosely at his side as proof of his hardship. Even the attendant was donned completely in white – her uniform seemed to blend into the very environment, causing him to stand out even more.

His heart pounded anxiously against his chest as his lips tightened to form a straight line. The woman was right: he didn't need any reminders about how important this moment was. As a descendant of two former ANBU members, he knew only too well the importance of choosing a suitable Anima. The process was similar to a samurai choosing his blade – no matter how skilled the samurai was, without a good blade he would always be beaten.

The woman led him through what seemed like a maze, opening door after door that all seemed to lead to the same hallway. Sasuke's sense of direction was completely thrown off, and he began to feel rather agitated as the woman opened yet another door that seemed to lead to nothing.

"Is there any characteristics you are looking for in particular, Uchiha-san?" the attendant spoke at last, breaking the tense silence that had consisted only of Sasuke's padded footsteps and her rather loud ones.

"It must be strong." Sasuke replied without hesitation. "It must be _very_ strong."

If her face hadn't been so stoic, Sasuke could have sworn that the woman was trying not to smile. "That is what _everybody_ looks for, Uchiha-san." She spoke slowly in an infuriating manner. "Is there anything else?"

Sasuke shot her a piercing glare that immediately wiped away the amusement from her eyes. "There is nothing else other than strength." He spoke quietly, yet his words echoed with a certain authority that made the attendant shrink away from him. "Strength is the only thing that matters in this world. Without it, you become subject to the whimsical means of others, like a marionette dangling on strings."

"_Do you see those people, Sasuke? Do you see how they're suffering?"_

"_It's because they're __**weak**__. Only the strong survive – the weak perish because the world has no room for their existences."_

"_Make room for your existence, Sasuke. It's the only way to keep on living."_

"We're here." The attendant came to a stop at last, halting before a large wooden door that looked different than all of the others. Seals completely surrounded its border, but even they couldn't hide the powerful aura that emitted from behind it. Sasuke swallowed thickly, his eyes trained on the door as the attendant muttered an incoherent incantation under her breath, her finger tracing some unknown pattern in the air. The seals glowed slightly before dimming, their power momentarily suppressed.

"Welcome to the Nursery." The woman bowed as the doors opened behind her.

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"Oi, the doors are open!"

"Somebody else must have passed!"

"Come on, come on! One of us is going to leave today!"

Naruto looked up as a horde of excited figures ran past his cage, some of them in their animal forms and some of them not. His lips spread in a toothy grin as he watched them push at each other, all of them desperate to greet the newcomer first. It was a funny sight, and he never tired of it.

"Yo, fox-face. What are ya laughing at?"

Kiba stretched out in front of the metal bars, his tail waving lazily behind him as his eyes stretched in a wolfish grin.

Naruto motioned towards the squawking animals with a jerk of his chin. "They're so unbelievably desperate to become weapons. It's kind of funny."

Yellow eyes followed his gaze before turning back to stare at him levelly. "We're not all like you, fox-face." The wolf spoke calmly. "All of us dream of the outside world and being useful to the one who will command us for the rest of our lives. We yearn for somebody to give us a reason for existing."

The blonde-haired teenager crossed his arms with a scowl. "The outside world isn't everything you guys hype it up to be. Here, it's quiet, and _peaceful_. There are beautiful things out there, but there are incredibly ugly things as well. I'm content with just knowing of both of them and staying here to rot."

His friend gazed at him before looking away. "Fuck you're depressing to talk to sometimes." He muttered before getting up. "I'm going to go meet with the newcomer. It might just be my lucky day."

Naruto watched as the wolf pattered out of the room, his eyes narrowed slightly as he moved to the very edge of his cell.

"_Kyuubi, I give you one last order."_

"_Don't you dare fail me, my love, my vassal."_

His scowl deepened as he reverted to his fox form and then curled into a tight ball, his tails covering his face. Perhaps he was a coward. Instead of fulfilling his master's last wish, he was here nursing his wounds. However, he wouldn't get very far in the first place – an Anima without a master was completely useless once it was shoved out into the outside world.

Naruto fell asleep, dreaming of the cerulean sky.

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AlexandriteSky: Thank you so much for reading, and please leave a review letting me know whether or not this story should be continued!


	2. Bond

AlexandriteSky: Thank you to all of the lovely people who reviewed! Here is the next installment!

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Nothing.

There was _nothing_ here that appealed to Sasuke in any way. Everywhere he looked, he saw Anima of different shapes and sizes, some in their animal forms and some of them donning their human forms. However, he felt nothing from them – no strength, no connection, _no bond_.

Anxiety was beginning to seize him. If he was forced to settle with something less than what he wanted, he knew he would regret it for the rest of his life. The creatures in the room were beginning to sense this too – they leapt at him like wild animals, and the attendant was forced to shoo many of them away as Sasuke slowly evaluated each one.

In the back, a wolf watched him, and Sasuke could feel power radiating from its lean figure. However, the moment they met each other's gaze both of them knew that they were incompatible, and the wolf slinked away with a mild snort of disinterest.

"Isn't there anything else?" he asked, turning to the attendant.

The woman hesitated, her eyes flickering to the side door. "There is…one more." She spoke slowly, her lips turning downwards at the corner. "I don't recommend him, however. This one is a…strange one, and is still under close examination."

Sasuke's interest was piqued. "How so?"

The woman coughed awkwardly. "Its previous master died, but he still remains."

The entire room fell silent as each Anima lowered its eyes. It was theoretically impossible for an Anima to survive without its master – after forming their bonds, an Anima relied on its master's life force to nourish its power. An Anima almost always died protecting its master, and if for some reason its master happened to expire before them, the Anima would quickly fade away with them. Meanwhile, if the master were to still continue living after the death of his partner, he would be unable to form another bond for the rest of his life.

It was a mutually reliant relationship which offered one's very own life like poker chips, betting on the adequacy and strength of the other to stay alive.

A strange feeling took a hold of Sasuke. It seemed as though something was calling him, beckoning him closer while simultaneously pushing him away. Some form of greatness was hiding behind the walls that the attendant desperately steered him away from, and while it called him, _it threatened to eat him alive._

It didn't take long for him to make his decision.

"Take me to him." Sasuke spoke, his voice loud and clear.

The Anima in the room erupted into hushed whispers, each of them looking at each other with a worried expression. They spoke hurriedly, but Sasuke still managed to pick up a few words as they huddled together nervously.

"_He's going to see Naruto…?"_

"_But that would distress him…"_

"_None other than __**that**__ man could possibly…"_

"Silence!" the attendant called out loudly. "Quiet down, all of you!"

The voices died down, but the curious gazes did not disappear.

"The Anima regard this one in a rather important light, but I am not quite certain why." She spoke. "Come with me, Uchiha-san. Although I don't promise that he'll even be awake."

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"_I love this place, Kyuubi."_

"_I would give up my life to protect it."_

"_I called upon you for this very purpose. Will you help me achieve my dream?"_

Naruto woke up, the hairs covering his back standing up as he came face to face with a pair of glittering obsidian eyes. It was rare for him to awaken; once slumbering, the fox would sleep at his own leisure and wouldn't even offer a twitch for the whims of another.

The man in front of him had eyes that were sharper than a finely polished blade, and Naruto felt a chill run down his spine.

_**-There were burning buildings everywhere and in the middle stood a single child, standing waist high in a sea of rubble-**_

_This man has known the hardships of being alive_.

_He had potential._

The fox sat up slowly, its nine tails stretching behind him as he continued to watch the man in front of him curiously. Sasuke watched him just as intently, his every limb frozen in place as the fox hesitantly edged forward.

_**-Searing red trickled down tender cheeks like tears that would never be shed-**_

The attendant let out a soft gasp, her jaw slightly slacked as the fox came forward and sniffed the raven-haired man's hands. A pink tongue flashed out to lick him hesitantly, and with a bright flash the fox transformed into a naked blonde teenager.

"Yo." The blonde greeted, his lips stretched into a wide smile at the raven-haired man squatting outside his cell. He crossed his legs so that he was sitting Indian style, his hands wrapped around the cool metal bars.

"Hn." Came the gruff reply. "Do you like being in this cage?"

The blonde's head tilted to the side. "It's not the worst, but I could do without it."

Sasuke's hand reached through the bars, palm facing upwards as he held it out in front of the wary animal.

"Then come with me."

The attendant held her breath. The specimen had _never _shown any interest in any of the candidates – not since he had chosen to re-register into the Nursery.

A moment of silence passed before a smaller hand moved forward, tickling the hand Sasuke offered before Naruto himself bent over, brushing his lips against the cool flesh.

"Uchiha-san!" the attendant cried out as Sasuke effortlessly broke the lock to the cell. "Please don't be so rash! I have to ask the Owner first if this is alright. And you – Naruto! Don't go making decisions by yourself!"

Both men ignored her pleads, and she stamped her foot angrily.

"Listen to me!"

Slowly, the cage door swung open, and the blonde haired teen gingerly stepped bare foot onto the smooth, cold tile floor. He halted before Sasuke, sapphire eyes wide and translucent as he stared up at the taller man with something akin to awe. In an almost plaintive manner, he stretched out his arms towards the stoic man, who seemed lost as to whether or not he should accept the yearning gesture.

The woman veered closer, apprehensive yet determined to stop the interaction between them. "Naruto." She ordered, voice full of authority. "You cannot disobey a direct command while in the Nursery. Go back into your cage."

The fox didn't seem to hear her.

"It's okay, Shizune." A new voice spoke up – a voice the black-haired woman knew only too well. She jumped back respectfully as Tsunade appeared, white coat fanning out behind her majestically as she surveyed the unraveling events before her. "There's nothing we can do now. Naruto has made his choice."

The blonde woman's lips twitched as Sasuke still remained unmoving, obsidian eyes trained on the boy before him.

_So, younger Uchiha._ _You accomplished what your older brother could not. Now, will you accept the destiny that this fox has to offer you?_

At last, Sasuke stepped forward, clutching the blonde teen to him tightly in one aggressive move. The blank expression on his face showed that his actions were almost involuntary, yet glittering obsidian eyes held no qualms as the blonde seemingly melted into his chest. Simultaneously, a whirling flame suddenly swept around them, hiding both of them from sight. Shizune gave a slight yelp before stepping backwards, clutching herself as if she had been burned. The flames reflected within Tsunade's eyes, and her mouth stretched into a grim line as her arms crossed.

Whether or not he was aware of it, Sasuke had just chosen a fate so heavy that it could either save his dying soul, or destroy what was left.

There was no turning back.

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AlexandriteSky: For those who are still confused about exactly what Anima are, there will definitely be a much more detailed explanation over the course of the next few chapters! There is a reason that I haven't gone too in depth as of yet, but I promise it will be revealed soon enough. Along with this, the discrepancies in Naruto's name will also be explained; I appreciate everyone for being patient! Thanks so much for reading, and as always please leave a review and let me know what you think!


	3. Cold

AlexandriteSky: As always, thank you so much to my reviewers! It really motivates me to spam out these chapters quickly!

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"You'll be staying here from now on." Sasuke directed, sliding open the door to reveal a small well-furnished room that had a sweet, musky scent. "You can pull out the futon in the corner to sleep on, and there should be everything else you need either in this room or the next one."

Naruto entered attentively, the ears on his head flickering slightly as he observed his new surroundings with interest. Even though he was in his human form, his fox ears still remained; it was a common characteristic for Anima to retain a common feature from their animal form, to prevent people from thinking that they were human. He wore clothes that Shizune had let him have after leaving the nursery in order to spare Sasuke the embarrassment of dragging a naked man home.

"It's horrible." He complained at last, turning around to face his new master with his teeth showing in a slight snarl. "I can smell it, you know. Nobody's been in this room for at least ten years – I'm breathing in enough dust to form a fucking bunny in my lungs!"

Sasuke stared back indifferently, onyx eyes glittering with an icy sheen. "All the rooms in this compound are like this." He replied emotionlessly. "There are very few, such as my room, that have been used frequently enough to bear the marks of a human touch."

"Even so, I can't stay here." The fox snapped, whirling around to face the dark-haired man. "My sense of smell is a lot shaper than yours, and right now, I can tell you that all my senses are about to go on strike against the injustice that you're doing me. Throw a few blankets on the ground in your room – I'll stay there!"

Sasuke's eyes flashed brightly. "Did your last master spoil you?" he asked coldly. "I won't be the same. I will fetch you in the morning to test your worth. Until then, I advise you to get a good night sleep."

Naruto's ears flattened against his head as the door closed, hiding the merciless man from his sight. Although the initial bond was there, it seemed as though they were still unable to harmonize as of yet. His new master didn't attempt to make any conversation on their way back from the nursery, and Naruto had been unwilling to instigate one.

_Free air smells like shit_. The fox sniffed, viciously taking his frustrations out on the futon his new master had designated him. He pulled it out aggressively, slamming it onto the floor before plopping down on it ungracefully. He looked around at his side, anger mounting as he realized that Sasuke had forgotten to give him a blanket for the night.

_Inconsiderate jerk_. He huffed, crossing his arms solemnly.

"_I understand that you don't trust people. We hurt, betray, and murder each other ruthlessly, plotting heinous sins which betray the laws of nature."_

"_But Naruto…don't you feel that people are inexplicably __**warm**__?"_

"_You can live your entire life without seeing the sun, but if you do, you'll never know the heat of its rays on your skin. You'll never know how wonderful things are when they stand underneath the light. You will never be hurt, but you will never be loved."_

"_I think being hurt a few times is worth it, don't you?"_

The fox shivered, pulling his legs against him tightly.

It was cold.

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"Get up. It's time to train."

Naruto's eyes opened slowly, closing instantly in protest to the sunlight streaming into the room. They were forced open once again when Sasuke impatiently nudged the side of his body with his foot, using enough force to flip Naruto around and land on his stomach uncomfortably.

"Bastard." He complained, rising into a sitting position while rubbing his eyes. One look from the raven-haired man silenced him, and he allowed Sasuke to tug him through endless hallways until they reached a large field of mossy grass, devoid of any signs of civilization.

"This is where we can use our abilities to our fullest, without having to worry about our surroundings." Sasuke explained shortly, abruptly releasing the tight grip he had on the blonde's arm. "It is part of my family's compound as well, so you don't have to be concerned with damaging it."

Naruto whistled in appreciation. He had figured that his new master was definitely not low on cash after being tugged through half of the large maze-like structure, but to think that it expanded to such lengths….

He had no time to ponder it longer as Sasuke wordlessly turned to face him, a long katana appearing in his grip.

"I want to see how strong you are, fox." He stated bluntly, swinging forward so that the tip of his blade stood centered between Naruto's eyes. "I have no use for things that are weak."

Naruto's cerulean eyes darkened, and he felt a twisted smirk stretch across his face.

"You understand nothing, Master." He hissed.

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AlexandriteSky: Thanks so much reading! Please leave a review and let me know what you think.


	4. First Tail

AlexandriteSky: I love all of my reviewers! Thank you for your support!

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_The blonde halted before Sasuke, sapphire eyes wide and translucent as he stared up at the taller man with something akin to awe. In an almost plaintive manner, he stretched out his arms_…

The experience at the Nursery seemed like a dream, leaving Sasuke with only anger as he glared upwards at his new pet, which was currently wrestling him to the ground with super-human strength. It had startled him to see red bleed into the fox's eyes, and before he could process what was happening, his katana had been flung aside and his body lay pressed against the rough dirt.

"It seems as though you do not understand the meaning of our existence yet, master." The fox said quietly, his voice causing the hairs on Sasuke's arm to stand on edge. He slowly released his grip on Sasuke's shoulders, allowing the other to sit up.

"Your reason for existing is to serve me." Sasuke snapped, swinging his fist towards the blonde's direction. Naruto gracefully jumped to the side, surveying him with calm eyes that caused the blood inside of Sasuke to boil with irritation.

"That is true." Naruto replied. "But you only understand those words on the surface. You have no knowledge of the complexities behind the bond we share, do you? Nor do you understand my purpose."

Fury mounting, Sasuke eyed the fox with narrowed eyes.

_An Anima's true purpose?_

Naruto was right. He did not understand it. He had grown up surrounded by the pets of his parents, but they had been wiped out before explaining anything to him. Even in the ANBU program, Anima's were a subject that was mentioned only lightly, though they were universally understood to play a vital role in a warrior's life. From what he knew, Anima were beings that harbored powers that could only be released after forming a contract with a human partner, and in return they offered up their lives and services.

After the Council recognized the potential danger of allowing Anima to roam freely, they were contained and strictly observed in the Nursery. From then on, only trusted members of the ANBU were allowed to come in contact with them, and Anima became the Council's most revered weapon.

Sasuke had never cared much for the details.

He thought of nothing but _strength_.

"It doesn't matter." He replied, leaping to the side in order to regain possession of his katana. "The only thing in this world that can be trusted is the power I see in front of me."

"That may be." The fox-child agreed, and Sasuke was shocked to see one tail lazily stretch out behind him as he spoke. "But you still don't understand anything. You're like a starving animal that blindly flails for its existence without ever opening its eyes."

_Sasuke was sure that there had been nine tails at the Nursery._

He bristled defensively. "There is nothing else other than strength." He argued, holding out his katana in front of him as if shielding himself from the fox's words.

All Sasuke heard was a loud growl before he was knocked to the side once again, head colliding with a rock a few meters away. Fury left his vision red as he stood up, blooding trickling down from his skull and only adding to his hazy vision.

He was an ANBU. So why was he being thrown around like some discarded rag doll by a child who claimed to be his pet?

He didn't want to feel this way again. He had trained endlessly ever since the incident so that he would never be thrown around again, helpless and completely at another's mercy. So why…?

"_Sasuke, look at this."_

_Tears streamed down the young boy's face as he glanced at the speaker, only to look away and empty the contents of his stomach onto the floor._

"_Our father, the pinnacle of strength, lost because he didn't want to fight his son." His brother laughed hysterically, tilting their father's head backwards to show off if severed neck. "Did you know he hesitated before the last blow? I think he might have actually been able to scratch me if he hadn't. Same with our dear, lovely mother."_

_Sasuke screamed as a low gurgling resounded from his father's form, blood spewing from the fatal wound._

Sasuke looked up, pupils dilated as the fox stood in front of him. Naruto's eyes were no longer painted red with bloodlust, and now they remained a cool cerulean as the fox squatted in front of his master with an indecipherable expression on his face.

"Do you see my tail?"

Sasuke's lips curled backwards in a snarl. "Of course I see your fucking tail." He growled, thoroughly humiliated and not liking the feeling of it. "What about it?"

Naruto stood up and turned around, giving Sasuke a better view of the single tail that playfully twitched in his direction. "When I served my last Master, I had nine." He said simply, the tail wrapping around him so that he could pet it. "I'm sure you saw it yesterday as well. I had nine tails until the moment we formed our bond."

Obsidian eyes narrowed. "Why should I care about the number of tails you have?" he snapped.

"You understand nothing." Cerulean eyes flashed red once again, but the fox continued speaking regardless. "These tails represent the level of the bond between my Master and I, but it also represents the amount of power that I am allowed to unleash. Do you understand?"

The dark-haired man remained silent.

"An Anima's strength is completely reliant on its Master's strength." Naruto stated, turning back around so that Sasuke could meet his intent gaze. "That is why "testing" your Anima for strength is useless; we are like reflections of yourself. We will be weak if you are weak, and we will be strong if you are strong. The fact that I only have one tail at this moment is because _you_ are not strong enough yet. I am your weapon, but only the master can determine how to use his blade. "

It was a crushing blow, and had he not had his pride completely squashed in the last few minutes, Sasuke would never have accepted the fox's words. However, something in the back of his mind told him that the fox was not lying; this was information that had been lost upon the death of his clan.

At least it was apparent that the Anima he had chosen was not weak.

Sasuke's voice was hoarse the next time he spoke. "How…What can I do?" he managed to force out. "How can I be stronger?"

Naruto grinned. "You can start things out by lending me a blanket." He answered immediately. "And letting me stay in your room tonight."

Sasuke gritted his teeth but nodded. The fox gave a happy yip, face beaming cheerfully as he began dashing in the direction of the manor.

"Wait."

Many yards away, the fox turned, ears turned towards him with interest as Naruto stared at him quizzically.

"If you only have one tail…does that mean you were only able to use 1/9th of your full potential?" Sasuke asked hesitantly.

Naruto's eyes glittered. "Yes."

The dark-haired man pushed himself to his feet. "Does that mean that I am currently only capable of utilizing 1/9th of my full potential as well?"

Something unreadable flashed across the fox's face. "I am the Nine-tailed fox." He replied softly. "I am only willing to bond with those that have the potential to bring out my full abilities. But how I get back my tails is up to you, Master."

Sasuke was fully aware that his question had been dodged as the fox resumed his quick return to the manor.

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AlexandriteSky: Poor Sasuke got a scolding…Thanks so much for reading, and please make sure to leave a review on your way out!


	5. For You

AlexandriteSky: I love all of my reviewers so much! Thank you for leaving me with your input; it makes me extremely happy to hear what you think of the story so far.

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It had been too long since he last fought. Naruto sat in the bathtub, massaging his aching muscles as the steam enveloped his body and soothed his fatigue. Years after years of sitting in a cage had dulled his reflexes, and sparring with Sasuke like he had earlier may have been too strenuous on his still recovering body.

He hoped that Sasuke understood a little bit more now about the relationship between an Anima and its Master. When they had formed their bond, Naruto had been given glimpses of Sasuke's inner self, and they led him to believe that he had lived almost his entire life alone, desperately struggling for his survival like a man gasping for air. This is what formed the initial connection between them, and Naruto had accepted its tug because something had led him to believe that he should.

He closed his eyes warily.

It was harder the second time, wasn't it?

"_Kyuubi, your tails are my pride. We've really grown up, haven't we? It's hard to imagine that you only had one tail when I first met you."_

_Naruto yipped in agreement, rubbing against the man's hand affectionately. He enjoyed being in his fox form because that was when his glorious tails were revealed, and he loved the feeling of having all nine tails enveloping around him like a mother's protective arms. _

_The man's head remained on his head, and Naruto sighed in satisfaction as he felt the warm palm against him._

"_Never forget this warmth, Naruto. It's what brought you out of the darkness, and it's what guided us together so that we can be this way today."_

_The fox sprawled out in front of the man, head resting on his paws. _

"_I only wish that I could save him as well…"_

_Naruto looked up curiously. The man looked down at him and smiled, shaking his head slowly._

"_Never mind. It's an old tale from an old time."_

Cerulean eyes opened slowly as Naruto returned to the present. Though the bond was broken, his soul still ached as if it was incomplete; something vital had been taken away from him, and his entire existence knew it.

His last master had been unbelievably kind and warm, but in the end, he had been the cruelest as well.

_I had wanted to die with you_.

A single tear slid down Naruto's cheek, and he quickly submerged his face in the water to remove it.

They had spent years nurturing an unbreakable bond, allowing it to incubate until the two were inseparable. His Master had rescued him from the dark cave that he had isolated himself in, breaking down both physical and emotional barriers and returning him to a world where the sun sometimes shone too brightly and tears were sometimes too salty.

_If I had known that it would end this way, I would have remained in the dark._

_If I was going to learn about warmth only to have it taken away, I would have preferred not knowing it all_.

"Are you still taking your bath? Get out already, it's been at least an hour." Sasuke's harsh voice sounded through the door. Naruto could sense his annoyance even with a two inch piece of wood between them, and he rose with a sigh.

"Kaaaay." He drew out monotonously, rising from the tub.

Bonding with Sasuke had formed a tiny bud inside of him, but that bud had yet to grow. Naruto was still swamped with loneliness even after regaining some of the warmth he craved, but it wasn't enough. He now had the bond all Anima needed to exist, but he felt emptier than ever.

"_Kyuubi, you are my other half. As long as you're alive, I can live as well."_

"_You must not return to the darkness. You must continue living, even if I no longer there to guide you."_

Naruto's jaw clenched so tightly that it hurt.

_Only for you_, he thought, grabbing a nearby towel and wrapping it around himself.

_Only you._

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That night, Naruto curled up in his fox form on a rug that Sasuke had set up at the side of his bed, and with a content purr his tail covered his face and he went to sleep. It was a far cry better than the room Sasuke had made him sleep in the night before; already exhausted by the events of the past two days, the fox found rest in a matter of seconds.

Sasuke did not find sleep so easily. He lay in his bed, completely unaccustomed to having another being in his room. He had spent more than ten years of his life in complete solitude; just having another living thing beside him completely threw off any sense of familiarity he had previously shared with his bedroom.

His nose crinkled in distaste as Naruto heaved a deep sigh and yipped lightly in his sleep. The fox made an adorable sight in his sleep, but Sasuke refused to concern himself with such things.

There were many things he would need to get used to, it seemed.

The room was uncharacteristically warm.

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AlexandriteSky: A little bit of a filler chapter, but I promise things will only speed up from here! I really wanted to show that even though they formed their bond, it's still extremely difficult for the two to build an actual relationship – especially Naruto, with his attachment to his last master. Thanks so incredibly much for reading, and please leave a review!

AlexandriteSky: Additionally, right as I was about to post this chapter my cat ran across the keyboard...I think she was trying to leave you all a message! Buuutt if there are any strange numbers or letters out of place, please disregard them xD I think I got most of them though!


	6. All He Needs to Know

AlexandriteSky: Hi guys! Not much to say today, so please enjoy this next installment. And a big thank you to everybody who reviewed, you guys are the best!

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"Tsunade…are you sure?"

The blonde woman looked up, only to find Shizune's worried face a mere inches from her own. The woman had come charging in after Sasuke's departure, eyes blazing and full of questions.

"You told me that the Kyuubi was a special specimen, and that we were to have him under close observation at all times. How can you just allow some rookie member form a bond with him!? Have you lost your senses!?"

"Enough of your incessant jabbering, Shizune." Tsunade hissed, glaring the woman into submission as emerald eyes glittered dangerously. "Indeed, I instructed for the Kyuubi to be under careful surveillance – but it was for his own good, not ours. There have only been eight previous cases reported in which an Anima was able to continue existing after a severed bond, and each of them eventually fell to madness."

"If that's the case-" the other woman protested, only to be silenced once again by Tsunade's hand.

"The fact that the Kyuubi was able to form a second bond is a miracle." She spoke, her voice low and calm. "It is an advancement that must be supported and recorded. That boy has suffered enough, don't you think?"

Shizune fell into her silence, her eyes shining with worry and hesitation.

"The fox came out of his cage all on his own." Tsunade mused, leaning back in her chair thoughtfully. "In all of the years that we have taken care of him, have you ever seen him attempt to leave it Shizune?"

"No." the woman admitted.

"I have never once forced him to remain there." The blonde's eyes closed warily. "But that child fears the madness."

One eye cracked open and peered at her pointedly. "Neh, let's just watch over them for now." The blonde woman suggested. "Here, have a drink with me."

Shizune backed away nervously as her boss opened a bottle of sake and fled after spouting a few stuttered excuses. Tsunade had a tendency of becoming extremely violent while intoxicated, and Shizune had dodged her share of paperweights through the course of her career.

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"The Council has sent us our first assignment." Sasuke spoke offhandedly over breakfast the following day, his eyes unwavering from the book he was reading. The blonde froze with a spoon full of cereal half way to his mouth, and for a moment he could do nothing but stare wide-eyed at the raven-haired man before he gave a loud whoop of excitement.

"_Really!?" _he exclaimed eagerly, knocking over the bowl of milk in front of him in the midst of his enthusiasm.

"Dumbass." Sasuke cursed, rising to his feet and retrieving a towel from the kitchen. Naruto's ears pressed ruefully against his head as the raven-haired man silently cleaned up the mess, but even his guilt could not stop the joyful wagging of his tail as he practically hummed in anticipation.

Noticing this, the raven-haired man sighed with annoyance, his fingers gingerly rubbing his temples. "You don't need to get so excited. It's just a B level mission. "

"Still!" the blonde yipped cheerfully. "It's our first mission together!"

"Hn." Sasuke replied disinterestedly. He watched with stern eyes as the blonde began to run in circles, the fox's eagerness clearly overriding common sense. "Stop that." He commanded at last. "You look ridiculous."

"Whatever." The blonde stuck out his tongue reply. Naruto often forgot that a majority of his animal instincts did not translate well into his human form; some things, like chasing your tail, looked downright silly when it was a blonde man instead of a fox.

"I didn't expect that you would be this excited." The raven-haired man offered after a moment of silence.

"Eh?" the blonde cocked his head to the side in confusion.

"You've already gone on missions before, have you not? With your old master?" Sasuke asked. Up until recently, the man had not spared much thought on learning more about his new fox, but now he was struck by a sudden curiosity.

"Ah." The blonde visibly recoiled, surprised by the sudden inquiry. Naruto's face grew somber as he mulled over Sasuke's question, and the raven-haired man watched with something dark gnawing at his heart.

_Even mentioning him makes you this sad?_

"Yeah, I've been on a few." Naruto replied, pulling him from his thoughts. His answer was ambiguous, and did nothing to quell the raven-haired man's curiosity. Before he could respond, however, the blonde grinned craftily, a glint in his eyes as he turned to face his master. "What's wrong master, getting scared?" he taunted sweetly, looking devilish with the two canines that poked past his upper lip.

"Idiot." Sasuke growled, smacking him on the head.

"Owwwww." The blonde whined, his ears flattening once more. "Be nice!" he complained heatedly.

"You forget who gives the commands here, _fox_." The raven-haired man stated calmly, voice ringing with authority. The blonde shrunk back, looking sheepish and a tiny bit offended.

"…Can't take a joke." The blonde grumbled, pouting as he pointedly turned around. "Hmph. I'm going outside!"

"…You don't want to hear the details about our mission?" Sasuke questioned with a raised brow.

Naruto halted, and Sasuke found himself the target of sparkling cerulean eyes that brimmed with confidence.

"Sasuke just needs to tell me what to do, and I will do it." He smiled brightly, rocking back and forth on the balls of his heels. "That's all I need to know."

For a moment Sasuke's chest constricted.

"_Trust nobody."_

"Ah." He replied with rare uncertainty. Naruto's smile widened, noting that it was the first time he had ever seen his new master's face make something other than an angry expression.

"Don't worry." The blonde reassured. "I will never, _ever_ let you die."

Sasuke had always prided on having exceptional eyesight.

In the brief moment before Naruto turned around, Sasuke could see that the blonde was no longer smiling.

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AlexandriteSky: Thanks so much for reading as always! It's great to be able to write and have people give feedback. Please leave a review, and I'll be sure to have the next update up soon!


	7. First Mission I

AlexandriteSky: Seeing the responses to this fic makes me smile so wide! Thank you to everybody who made my day by reading!

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"So…that didn't go so well."

"I know you dumbass, just _run_!" Sasuke snapped, gracefully leaping from one branch to another as Naruto followed closely behind with a large scroll tucked snugly underneath his arm. The first part of their mission had proceeded without a hitch; Naruto had snuck into the compound in his fox form, utilizing both stealth and speed to charge past the guards while Sasuke brought up the rear. Their goal, a forbidden scroll that had been stolen from Konoha's archives, had been hidden in a small shrine located towards the back of the complex, and it had been remarkably easy to break into.

The moment Naruto picked up the scroll, things began going south.

Clearly, they had been expected.

Sasuke and Naruto found themselves completely surrounded upon exiting the shrine, and the two had just barely managed to slip away after using a substitution jutsu. They were now being closely followed as they fled, and Sasuke's brows furrowed as he contemplated their next move.

The Council had not asked for a massacre. The mission that they had been given had been a simple get in-get out, without causing too much trouble.

The raven-haired man glanced at his companion, who had yet to leave his side the entire night. Naruto was in his human form, his cerulean orbs narrowed in concentration as he determinedly kept up with his master's pace. Though the blonde had been lightning fast on the ground, it was clear that he was struggling to keep up while in the air.

"Switch back." Sasuke spoke up. "You're faster when you're a fox."

"In case you haven't noticed." The blonde grit his teeth. "Foxes don't normally make a habit of jumping between trees. Switching won't make things any better!"

"Tch." Sasuke's lips pursed. Noticing his disapproval, Naruto's face slipped into a deep scowl.

"Hey! Since when the fuck do foxes have to know how to climb trees!? That's not how evolution works, jackass!"

The raven-haired man turned to reprimand the blonde, only to watch as Naruto's eyes suddenly widened before he slipped back into his fox's form and lunged at him.

_What…?_ He thought for one split second as the fox brought him crashing onto a bed of leaves beneath them, the branch he had previously been standing on now split into three. The raven-haired man lay on the ground, slightly winded, as Naruto lay on top of him with the scroll carefully balanced in his mouth.

Another attack came from the bushes, and both Sasuke and Naruto leaped away to dodge the pair of kunai that struck the dirt they had been laying on.

"Well now. Seems like they might be better than we thought, Haku." A new voice sounded. It was low and bitter, but even from their distance Sasuke could sense the bloodlust radiating from their opponent.

"Yes, Zabuza." A new, softer tone replied. The second assailant's voice was almost feminine, and it shared none of the metallic darkness that the former possessed.

At his side, Naruto began growling, his ears and tail standing straight up. His front paw pushed the scroll behind him, and the fox made a powerful sight as his lips pulled back further into a deep snarl. Following his example, Sasuke carefully slipped into a defensive stance, glaring into the direction that Naruto was growling.

"Who are you!?" the raven-haired man demanded into the darkness. After a few moment of silence a deep grumbling laugh sounded in reply which seemed to send a shiver through the forest.

"It doesn't matter who we are. All you need to know is that we will be the ones to end your life. " The man replied, stepping into the clearing. He was a tall dark-haired man with bandages covering the majority of his body, but even from his distance Sasuke could sense that he was _strong_. The sword the man wielded monstrously large; Sasuke could hardly believe that the man was able to lift so it effortlessly with one hand, as if it were as light as a feather.

Adrenaline pounded in Sasuke's blood and he forced himself to remain calm. This would be the first time facing such a dangerous opponent; the raven-haired man had trained his entire life to prepare for this very moment.

_Sasuke would crush him to the ground_.

Beside him, Naruto hissed, and the raven-haired man followed the fox's gaze to a second figure standing in the clearing.

_When did he get there…?_

The second figure was a young man whose beauty could make any woman blush in envy. He donned a simple kirigakure pinstriped outfit that reached the length of his knees and a black scarf that covered his head, and though he skillfully brandished two more kunai in his hands Sasuke could feel absolutely no malice in his being.

The unnatural peacefulness of the second man disturbed him.

"Sasuke."

The blonde was back in his human form, with one hand tugging on his sleeve.

"What?" snapped Sasuke, though he didn't shake his arm out of the blonde's grasp.

Naruto's eyes shone with honesty as he gazed at his master. "I thought that only ANBU were able to have Anima? Has that changed?"

"Of course not." Sasuke replied impatiently, waiting for the blonde to get to his point. It wasn't like they were in the middle of a life-or-death situation, or anything.

"Mmmmm." The blonde hummed, his grip tightening on his master. "Then why do we have one in front of us?"

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AlexandriteSky: And the action begins! As always, please leave a review and let me know what you think!


	8. First Mission II

AlexandriteSky: Hi guys, here the next chapter! Thank you so much to my lovelys who reviewed, and I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint!

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"Hahahahahahaha!"

Sasuke tensed as Zabuza threw back his head and laughed, the sound chilling enough to curdle the blood of anybody close enough to hear. Naruto's grip was warm against his wrist, however, and Sasuke remained unflinching as the bandaged man smiled, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth.

"Your partner is perceptive." The man laughed, roughly grabbing the scarf away from the shorter man's head. Sasuke was shocked to see two cat ears reveal themselves, and he almost took a step back in surprise.

_An Anima!?_

_Working with a hit man!?_

"You…" he growled, eyes narrowing. "Only ANBU of Konoha are permitted to form a contract with Anima."

"Oh I'm sorry." The man drawled sarcastically. "In case you haven't noticed – _Konoha is a small village in a freaken big world_. You think we care about your _rules_?"

Sasuke didn't waste his breath gracing the man with a response. Long ago, during a treaty between all of the biggest super powers of the time, it had been decided that Konoha with its superior man power would take on the responsibility of managing the activity of Anima. In return, Konoha agreed to lend its strength to whoever needed it – as long as the price was right.

The fact that this man had somehow managed to form a contract outside of Konoha was definitely something troubling that Sasuke needed to report.

First he had to take care of the situation itself, of course.

"No more talking." He hissed, which was all the indication he gave before launching forward into his first attack. With a few quick hand motions, Sasuke's blade began glowing with electricity, and he charged at Zabuza with his sword ready to strike.

"Foolish."

Sasuke's blade struck nothing but water, and he swung around in time to block a swing that had been targeting his head from behind. Underneath the bandages covering his face, it was clear Zabuza was grinning as he jumped back a few steps.

The raven-haired man clenched his jaw.

_This man was __**fast**__._

Despite the impractical size of Zabuza's blade, he was still able to swing it effortlessly as if it were an extension of his own hand. Sasuke narrowly avoided a few more swings and waited until Zabuza was in close proximity before releasing his next jutsu.

"_Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique._"

He watched in anticipation as the trail of fire engulfed Zabuza's body, but a glint in the corner of his eye alerted him that the battle was not over and he sidestepped in order to dodge a large cat that had almost managed to sink its claws into his back.

_Damn, the Anima! What was the stupid fox doing!?_

From within the flames, Sasuke perceived motion, and he raised his blade in time to block Zabuza's sword as he emerged from the attack completely unscathed. From the way that he dripped water from head to toe, it was clear he had used his own abilities to null the effects of the fire.

A sharp stinging suddenly erupted from his leg, and Sasuke struggled for balance as the large cat latched onto him, taking away his support. Zabuza mercilessly drove his sword down, and Sasuke could do nothing but collapse onto his knees as he guarded himself against the other man's attack.

"A cheap move." Sasuke growled nastily. "Too scared to fight without your pet?"

Zabuza's brow rose. "If I don't fight together with him, what's the point of having him?"

The statement startled Sasuke, and it was enough to give Zabuza his chance to knock him off balance. His foot struck Sasuke in the side of his stomach, knocking him to the side and flinging his sword out of his hand. Sasuke coughed, blocking out the pain as his eyes swept his surroundings.

_Where the __**hell**__ was that fox!?_

His question was swiftly answered as an orange blur suddenly appeared in front of him, and in one moment both the cat and his owner were pushed away from him as Naruto first used his head to collide into Zabuza's chest and then his tail to slap away the retaliating cat.

Sasuke's mouth opened to demand to know what the fox had been doing during the battle, but one sharp glance from crimson eyes quelled his anger. Though Naruto was still in his animal form, Sasuke could somehow still understand what the fox was trying to say.

"_If you charge forward without a word, how the __**fuck**__ am I supposed to know what to do!?"_

He glanced up at their two opponents, who were quick to recover from the fox's attack. Sasuke could see the older man murmur something into his partner's ear, clearly organizing their next move.

"Don't let them finish planning." Sasuke barked. Naruto obeyed without hesitation and sprinted forward, only to yelp loudly as he crashed face first into a large sheet of ice that had suddenly appeared in front of their assailants.

"Shit." The raven-haired man cursed as several more sheets materialized out of thin air and surrounded them. He leaped upwards, only to have the sheets continuously form no matter where he attempted to escape to.

Beside him Naruto shattered one of the mirrors with his tail, only to have it regenerate as quickly as it had been created. Before long, even the sky was separated from them by the irritating sheets of ice, and the two found themselves completely and utterly confined.

"Do you like it?"

Suddenly Zabuza's form appeared in each of the mirrors, and all of the figures smirked at them like mice caught in a trap.

"Haku can manipulate water at his will." Zabuza's voice echoed from every direction. "It makes handy little tricks like this possible."

"Coward." Sasuke snarled, shattering the mirror to his side. "Come on, fox, we're getting out of here."

Following his example, Naruto began breaking mirrors at the quickest rate possible, but even with his amplified speed their efforts were fruitless. The ice continued reforming almost instantly, and Zabuza laughed at them chillingly as he gleefully watched their attempts.

"Why don't we have some more fun?"

Out of thin air hundreds of icicles formed, each of them aimed at them and ready to turn their bodies into pin cushions.

_Those two are strong_. Naruto thought, watching as Sasuke melted the needles by breathing fire out of his mouth.

This kind of attack could only be performed by a pair with an exceptional amount of trust. Each man had a thorough understanding of how the other fought, and using this they could launch a strategy that complimented both of their abilities.

A bit of wistfulness intruded Naruto's mind like an unwelcome guest.

_I use to have that_.

"**Dumbass! What the **_**fuck**_** are you spacing out for!?"**

Naruto snapped back into his present situation just in time to see a few stragglers flying directly at him, with only milliseconds until impact. The fox's limbs froze as he watched them approach, his mind screaming for his body to move but being pointedly ignored.

The next moment, Naruto was thrown to the side, and crimson eyes widened as they watched each needle embed itself into Sasuke's back.

"_It's okay, Naruto."_

"_Don't cry."_

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AlexandriteSky: Sorry! (ducks away from angry scowls). I love you all, please review and I will have the next chapter up soon!


	9. First Mission III

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"_I'm sorry, Naruto."_

"_Even though I promised not to – I'm leaving you alone."_

"His cat can control _water_?" Sasuke panted, grimacing from the pain as blood dripped down from his several puncture wounds onto the ground. Though the wounds seemed serious, Sasuke would be fine; at the last moment he had managed to concentrate his chakra around him, creating a thin barrier that had managed to stop the needles from being fatal. "What the fuck can you do, then?"

He turned when there was no reply from the fox. "Hey, fox?"

Naruto sat there frozen, his usually crimson eyes bleeding black as they remained unwavering from Sasuke's wound.

"_But you'll be okay."_

"_You've grown so much since I found you. Even with this, you won't go back to that lonely cave, right?"_

"_Naruto?"_

"_It's okay, Naruto."_

"_Don't cry."_

"_I'm happy to have been able to see your face one last time. It would have been nice to see you smile, but that's too much to ask for, right?"_

"_Naruto…"_

**It was dark.**

**Why was it so dark?**

_Just the day before, they had been happily sitting in their apartment, with his master reading in the arm chair and Naruto curled up at his feet._

_Ah._

_So this is how easy it is to extinguish human life._

"Oi!" Sasuke called hotly, stalking over to the immobile fox. "What the fuck are you-"

His sentence died in his throat as Naruto finally met his gaze, and the raven-haired man felt a chill travel down his spine as he stared into dark globes. Naruto's eyes no longer held even a hint of crimson; they had been completely engulfed by darkness, and Sasuke could not even begin to see their depths.

_Dangerous_.

Sasuke was blanketed by the same premonition he had had in the beginning, all the way back when he was still in the Nursery. It was the same feeling that had called him to Naruto in the first place.

_It was raw power._

_It was madness._

When he blinked, the fox was gone. It took him a few seconds to realize that Naruto had leaped into the air, and he could only watch as the fox floated amidst the next set of ice needles that Zabuza had prepared. With a growl, each needle set on fire, and it rained flames as they fell to the ground. Faster than Sasuke's eye could follow Naruto landed on the ground and went charging to the other side of their prison, his nose scrunched in a terrific snarl.

Sasuke fought a shiver.

_So powerful_.

The fox growled again and the mirror in front of him burst into flames. Without hesitation, the fox charged through the wall of fire he had just created, and for a moment he left Sasuke's sights. Only seconds later the ice mirrors surrounding them came crashing down as Haku was thrown into the middle of the circle, his body shattering through sheets of ice that still remained.

Though the fox was now moving better than Sasuke could have ever imagined, he could not deny the feeling of unrest within him as Naruto jumped on top of the struggling cat, using his weight to press Haku to the ground. The blonde's lips were still drawn back in a deep snarl, showing off sharp canines that seemed to be begging to be buried into the cat's throat.

Naruto's actions were not normal, and Sasuke was not comfortable settling the battle in such a way.

"Hey." He spoke as Naruto used one paw to hold Haku's head against the ground.

The fox didn't acknowledge his voice, and a vein throbbed in Sasuke's forehead.

_That brat did __**not**__ have the right to ignore him!_

"SHITTY FOX."

In one swift moment Sasuke crossed over to where Naruto pinned Haku to the ground and delivered a merciless kick to the fox's side. Naruto went flying, his eyes wide with surprise as he crashed into one of the trees surrounding the clearing. Sasuke watched the impact with satisfaction before striding to stand next to the fox's form, his arms crossed as he glared down at the fox sternly.

Naruto's eyes were back to their regular crimson as he stared up at him with his jaw slacked.

"Are you back to normal now?" Sasuke said roughly, his lips stretched in a straight line. "Shitty fox."

"Ah." The fox finally spoke for the first time. His eyes nervously scampered back to his wounds. "I…"

"I'm fine. You're overreacting." The raven-haired man snapped, feeling weary. He was just finally beginning to understand the weight of his existence to the fox, and the amount of responsibility it entailed.

"I thought I let it happen again." Naruto was back in his human form, and he sat cross-legged with his eyes focused on the ground, cerulean eyes watering. "I thought…"

"You thought wrong." Sasuke ground out, smacking the blonde on the side of his head. "Are you trying to insult me? I don't die easily, you fucktard."

"_I'm not scared as long as you're by my side, Naruto."_

"_Because I know that you'll protect me."_

"I can protect myself, dumbass." Sasuke continued, roughly poking Naruto in the forehead with one finger. "So just take care of yourself and we'll both be fine."

The last traces of black vanished from Naruto's eyes as he abruptly burst into laughter.

"What!?" Sasuke barked with a scowl.

"Nothing." Naruto grinned up at him. "Just underestimated you, is all."

"Hn." The raven-haired man sniffed. "Dumbass."

His eyes sharpened as they landed on the two figures approaching them. Zabuza was obviously choosing not to use the same method again as his hand gripped the hilt of his sword, and Haku walked silently at his side, his side bearing gashes from where Naruto had attacked him before.

The raven-haired man quickly readied himself. It was obvious that the cat was more focused on speed than power, similar to Naruto; if he could have the fox face off against him, he could face Zabuza without any further distractions.

"Hey." He spoke quietly. "Take care of that damn cat."

The blonde gave him one side-long look before dipping his head in acknowledgement. With a sudden burst of speed, Naruto launched himself forward as a fox, slamming into Haku's body as Sasuke followed closely behind, his focus on the sharp-toothed hit man.

"Still choosing to fight alone?" Zabuza grinned while Naruto and Haku began to tussle to their side. "Suit yourself."

In a flurry of swings and jutsus, Sasuke and Zabuza continued their battle from before as Naruto and Haku faced off. They circled each other warily, and Haku's eyes glittered keenly as the cat's tail swished back and forth.

"_Your bond with that man is still weak."_

Naruto's lips pulled back in silent laughter. _"I knew that, thanks."_

"_I can feel your power." _The cat spoke amiably. _"It is raw and whispers of endless possibilities. Yet it also rings with insanity."_

"_Shut up."_ Naruto growled. _"You know nothing."_

"_I hope that your partner will become strong."_

The fox halted.

"_It's not just him." _He spoke. _"I, too, am holding us back. I became so obsessed with the past, I forgot to watch the present."_

The sudden image of Sasuke towering over him, needles embedded into his body made Naruto swallow thickly.

"_My eyes are wide open now." _He stated evenly. _"And now, they see only Sasuke."_

Haku said nothing, but his eyes glinted with a spark of wisdom as he observed his opponent.

"_Sasuke will get stronger."_ The fox snarled, ending the conversation. _"And so will I."_

The cat laughed. _"Such a weak bond will never deter Zabuza and me."_

The two animals clashed in a combination of claws and fangs.

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AlexandriteSky: A longer chapter than usual! However, I thought it was really important to emphasize the time when Naruto finally decides to devote himself to Sasuke instead of being stuck in his past. Thanks to all who read this chapter, and please update! It really motivates me to make frequent updates!


	10. First Mission IV

AlexandriteSky: Hey guys, I have a pretty important question before all of you begin reading! I've received a few reviews now pointing out the rather short length of these chapters, so I've decided to take a poll and see if I should lengthen them! However, longer chapters results in a longer wait between updates.

AlexandriteSky: So here's my question: Would you guys rather longer chapters with a longer wait time or shorter chapters that can be updated consistently? Please let me know what you would prefer; if I don't receive much feedback, I'll probably just keep updating as I have been doing so far! Thank you so much for everybody who has reviewed, I'm so flattered that people are still reading this fic!

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The battle was one of the hardest Sasuke had ever fought. His training for the ANBU had barely given him the foundations necessary to pair up with such a monster, and he found himself being pushed back more times than his pride would allow while Zabuza continued with his relentless attacks.

The man in front of him not only had mastery over his blade, but he commanded a variety of water-based jutsus that were irritating in their versatility. Often, Sasuke thought to strike the final blow, only to have Zabuza substitute his body with water like he had done before. Other times, Zabuza utilized his element to launch dangerous attacks at the raven-haired man, which he narrowly managed to deflect or avoid.

Panting, Sasuke held back to assess his situation. Naruto had successfully managed to hold the cat off, yet he was bleeding from a few scratches on his side. The other Anima was not much better off, however, and Sasuke was surprised to feel a bit of pride to see that his fox was doing so well.

_Pride? _He thought to himself with a snort. _I should expect nothing less from_ _the fox._

He was, after all, the Anima Sasuke had chosen.

He hurriedly refocused his attention on his own condition. As of yet, he had received only minor cuts and bruises from his fight with Zabuza along with the wounds he had received earlier from Haku, but Sasuke knew that it wouldn't last for long. For a while, the other man had had a small gleam in his eyes, and the raven-haired man knew it was only a matter of time before Zabuza revealed his scheme.

_What other tricks could this man have up his sleeve?_

Sasuke forced himself to take a deep breath, his face slipping into a scowl at the difficulty of the task.

_It's because of this damn humidity_. He thought with a frown.

Had the air always been this…moist?

With a start, Sasuke realized that in the brief few moments he had taken to recollect himself, the entire clearing had been overrun with fog. It was becoming difficult to see even a few feet in front of him, much less the opponent he had been facing.

Sasuke's jaw clenched.

_So then…_

_Where was Zabuza?_

With his instincts screaming impending danger, the raven-haired man caught a glimpse of a shadow and brought his blade up just in time to block an attack from above him. Just as quickly as he had came, Zabuza disappeared back into the mist, and Sasuke began to realize just what kind of predicament he was in.

The man had obviously been biding his time so that he could pull of this attack. Now that the air was completely saturated with water, Sasuke could neither see nor hear his opponent. It was as if half of his senses had suddenly been switched off, leaving him to depend solely on his own intuition. In addition, it was becoming difficult to breathe, and the raven-haired man knew that he had to end things _fast_.

With his arms aching in protest, Sasuke clasped his hands together and muttered yet another incantation.

"_Shadow shuriken."_

At his side, his shuriken grew to a monstrous side, and Sasuke threw it so that it circled the area. Even if it didn't hit his opponent, Sasuke was hoping that it could clear some of the fog; his hopes were dashed, though, when the air split only to be invaded by a heavier blanket of fog.

"Hahahahahahahahaha."

Zabuza's laughter ran through the air.

"Where am I?"

The voice sounded next to Sasuke's ear, but by the time he was able to react the man was gone.

"Too slow."

A sharp jab connected with his back, and Sasuke grunted in pain as he was sent flying. With a few flips he was able to land safely on the ground, but before he could put up his guard another blow landed on his chest and knocked him to the side.

_Shit_. Sasuke mentally cursed, feeling pain shoot through his body.Zabuza had taken a couple of ribs with him in that attack, and the raven-haired man was beginning to feel a bit dizzy from the pain and heavy mist.

"Hahahahahahahaha."

Zabuza's laughter continued to surround him, and Sasuke's palms bled from his effort to remain calm.

It was the same maniacal laughter that haunted his dreams every night, accompanied by the sight of his parent's corpses and Itachi's insanity.

_**He was all alone again, standing in a lake of blood…**_

_Everybody was gone._

And then, there was warmth.

Sasuke looked beside him to see Naruto standing at his side, cerulean eyes just as dazzling despite the fog. The blonde was once again latched onto his sleeve, but this time the raven-haired man found himself almost leaning in to the touch.

_I'm here_.

In that brief moment, Sasuke let himself relax.

"He's coming." Naruto spoke, releasing him instantly as his eyes sharpened. Sasuke swung around so that he was facing the same direction.

"Where?"

The blonde sniffed the air, making a face at the overwhelming humidity.

"Right!" he called, and Sasuke swung his blade. His eyes caught sight of a shadow as it jumped back into the mist, and he smirked.

_This could work._

"Left." Naruto's hand was once again on his sleeve.

The gears inside Sasuke's head were already churning, and he knew that it would only to be his own disadvantage if Zabuza realized that Naruto was now by his side. The fog was so thick that it still impeded even the hit man's own vision, causing him to believe that Sasuke's attack from earlier had been a simple fluke supported by beginner's luck. Though his trap was utterly devastating to his victims, it did not prevent Zabuza from being slightly inflicted by it as well.

Good.

Sasuke could use this.

As Zabuza once again sprang from the shadows, Sasuke wrapped his arms around Naruto to keep him hidden from sight. The blonde, shocked by the sudden proximity of a master who had recently only begun to tolerate being touched, flushed bright red, though a stern look from Sasuke silenced him as he shyly stood still.

However, he couldn't stop his tail from wagging.

_So easily pleased._ Sasuke scoffed in his head as he saw the fox's ministrations, though the blonde remained silent.

"Stay hidden." He murmured under his breath, wincing as he braced himself against Zabuza's attack. He allowed the other man's sword to graze his back before leaping away, still keeping the smaller male flush against him. Naruto, horrified that Sasuke had suffered even more damage, gave a strangled yelp as he fought against the raven-haired man's grip.

"Stop it. I told you I'm fine." Sasuke snapped, his patience growing thin. It would not do to have the fox freaking out every single time he got a cut or scrape. "Your only job is to tell me where he's coming from."

The blonde looked fantastically displeased, but he obeyed. For the next few minutes he relayed Zabuza's position to his master, who took the information and responded appropriately. Each time he allowed the hit man to inflict a minor wound, increasing his confidence while blinding him to the reality of the situation.

If Zabuza had just taken a moment to think, he would have realized that the chance of his opponent escaping fatal wounds so many times in a row was a clear sign of danger. However, the hit man was becoming drunk off of the frenzy of having his prey cornered, and he proceeded without caution.

"Above!" Naruto exclaimed at last, and Sasuke knew that this was his chance. Attacking from above meant that there was no place for Zabuza to dodge; Sasuke leapt upwards with his sword glinting, and after pushing past the cloud of mist he was finally able to see Zabuza with perfect clarity.

Zabuza's eyes widened at the sight of Sasuke approaching, and his arms twitched as if to move before the man realized that he was in the air. As a last effort, Sasuke saw the man quickly begin to utter an incantation, but the raven-haired man was quick to throw a shuriken and interrupt his efforts.

"You're mine." The raven-haired man hissed, his blade itching to meet its target. A few moments later his sword struck, and Sasuke's lips lifted in a victorious snarl as he felt the blade impale its victim.

A strangled cry choked its way from Zabuza's throat, but it was not one of pain.

As the fog began to clear, Sasuke's triumph was squashed when he saw that it was Haku, not Zabuza that he had just stabbed. The cat had thrown himself between the two at the last second and had taken the fatal blow for its master. Blood spurted from his side as the cat smiled softly at its master, seemingly trying to convey one last message to Zabuza before beautiful eyes closed.

With a roar of anger, Zabuza swung his sword downwards, but Sasuke was immediately yanked away as Naruto pulled him aside with a mighty jump. Zabuza's blade sliced nothing but air, and both he and Haku's body went crashing to the ground.

Sasuke bit his lip at the sight of the cat's limp body as it collided with the dirt with a sickening thud.

_It hadn't been his intention to have the Anima sacrifice himself…_

_Why should he have to pay for his master's mistakes?_

"Don't." Naruto spoke softly at his side. Sasuke turned to see that the blonde's hair shadowed his face, and the man stared at Haku's form with an unreadable expression.

"Don't do what?" Sasuke replied gruffly.

"Don't pity him." The blonde answered. Sasuke saw that Naruto's fist clenched and unclenched at his side, but said nothing.

Cerulean eyes met his with an expression much shyer than any Sasuke had seen before.

"Any of us would be happy to be in his position." The blonde spoke softly. At a loss for words, Sasuke merely averted his gaze and ignored the blonde's sentiments. Naruto's devotion was overwhelming, and the raven-haired man had no idea how to respond.

The blonde didn't seem to mind the silence, instead choosing to latch onto Sasuke's sleeve once again. The raven-haired man moved to protest, but after witnessing Naruto's steadfast gaze on Haku's still form he decided to permit it one last time.

He wondered what thoughts flashed through the fox's mind and whether or not they were the reason why the blonde's hands trembled.

Across the field Zabuza rose to his feet, but Sasuke could sense that the battle was over as the tall man stared unblinkingly down at his partner's body. It seemed as if all of the fight had drained out of him, leaving only an empty shell in its wake.

_Will that be me someday?_

The fox had made it perfectly clear that he would not allow Sasuke to die before him. Whether it be from his excessive guilt of allowing one master to die or simple devotion, the raven-haired man somehow knew that Naruto fully intended to keep his word.

His jaw clenched.

_He had had enough of digging graves._

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Things progressed quickly after Haku's death. Consumed by grief, Zabuza had scooped up his partner's body in his arms and fled the scene, leaving his job and victims behind. Though it weighed heavily on Naruto's heart to see one of his own fall, he had retaken possession of the scroll and followed Sasuke out of the forest at the raven-haired man's command.

His thoughts, however, were not so willing to leave the event behind.

Every time a bond was shattered, only grief could take its place.

Though Zabuza and Haku had not been an authorized pair, it was impossible to question their connection. They had fought alongside each other as if by natural instinct, and Naruto shuddered to think what they could have been capable of had Zabuza not dropped his guard due to carelessness while toying with Sasuke.

"_Why are you with him?"_

_Haku dodged a slash to his side as Naruto's claws raked the ground. They were currently stuck in a stalemate, with not one animal able to significantly lay harm on the other. Though Naruto could use only a small portion of his strength, his speed still allowed him to avoid Haku's attacks with ease, leaving him only with the question of how to attack._

"_I don't know what you mean." Haku replied._

_Even fifteen minutes into their skirmish, the cat was still abnormally free of the bloodlust that accompanied any experienced fighter into battle. Naruto was especially wary of these kinds of opponents, as they were always the hardest to read._

"_You don't like fighting." The fox state, flipping into the air. "But you bonded with a man who craves it. Why?"_

_Even within the midst of battle, Naruto could sense Haku's gentleness. _

"_Zabuza found me." The cat replied, his beautiful eyes closing for one moment. "I was abandoned, with nowhere to go. Zabuza took me in and fed me, even without the promise of a bond."_

_Haku's gaze burned with determination._

"_I will repay the debt."_

Well damn.

How could Naruto condone a reason like that?

It would be far too hypocritical.

"Fox."

His master's voice shook him out of his thoughts, and Naruto glanced at the raven-haired man with half-hearted annoyance.

"I have a name, ya know." He replied, though his comeback seemed forced.

As always, Sasuke merely disregarded the retort with a simple glare, and Naruto heaved a deep sigh.

"What's up?"

"If you want to continue to be by my side, you must understand one thing." The raven-haired man spoke, his voice low yet hard as steel. Naruto found himself surprised by Sasuke's abrupt sternness, causing him to nod in reply in place of his usual cheekiness.

Sasuke turned around and pinned him down with a fierce glare.

"You are my _sword_." He spoke, onyx eyes shining with a fierceness that Naruto was powerless to obey. "And not my shield. Do _not_ get the two confused."

The blonde opened his mouth to protest, but Sasuke's gaze was so severe that it quashed Naruto's objections in his throat.

Emotions surged through the blonde with such strength that they threatened to knock him off his feet. Naruto fought to regain his composure as his heart pounded dangerously, his every instinct screaming at him to yield to each and every one of his master's demands.

However, this was one that he could not accept.

"Yes, master." He responded at last, dipping his head. Inwardly he grimaced with the guilt that he had lied to his master for the first time since their bonding.

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AlexandriteSky: (clasps hands together) I'm so sorry to all the reviewers who asked me not to be mean to Haku! This was the scene that kept replaying in my head and I ended up not being able to think of any other way for it to go. In apology I made the chapter longer, I hope it was an okay compromise! Please review and let me know what you think!


	11. Aftermath

AlexandriteSky: All of my reviewers are the best! I love you guys so much, you're the reason I want to make consistent updates! Thanks so much for you input last chapter, it helped me out a lot!

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"THERE'S TWO!"

Sasuke woke with murder in his eyes, only to find himself two inches away from the blonde who had single handedly caused him more migraines than he had ever had in his entire life.

That was quite the feat, considering he had had Gai as an instructor while at the academy.

"Sasukeeeee. There's _two_!"

In his groggy state, the raven-haired man simply could not determine the source behind the blonde's squealing as Naruto bounced up and down excitedly on top of his rigid form. His incessant chanting was grating Sasuke's sensitive nerves, and it wasn't long before the raven-haired man aggressively pushed the other male off of him with irritation souring his expression.

"Shut up!" he snapped, blaming the fox for what he already knew to be a ruined day. "Explain the situation in ten words or less, or I'm kicking you out of my room."

Naruto instantly paled, his expression miserable as he recalled the conditions of the first night after his arrival. Sasuke watched as the blonde's brow furrowed in concentration, and he almost sighed after witnessing how intensely the blonde counted his fingers while muttering under his breath.

_Idiot_.

"Ugh!" Naruto exclaimed at last, sticking out his tongue. "It doesn't matter. _Look!_"

He turned around with an extravagant twirl, and Sasuke finally saw for himself what had gotten the blonde so excited so early in the morning.

"I've got one of my babies back." Naruto spoke proudly, his two tails flickering lazily as if to show off in front of Sasuke.

"You disturbed my sleep for this?" Sasuke asked crossly. He tended to have an unforgiving streak in the mornings, as Naruto would soon become accustomed to and learn to avoid.

The blonde blinked owlishly. "You're awake right now though?"

"BECAUSE YOU WOKE ME UP." Snarled Sasuke.

"Anyways." The blonde brushed past the topic smoothly, instead choosing to pet his new tail fondly as he hugged it to him proudly. "What do you think!? Pretty awesome, right?"

"It's the same as the other one."

"You've got no imagination." Naruto sniffed. "Think about it!" he exclaimed, stamping his foot impatiently. "This is the first tail I've gotten back with you. It symbolizes our bond!"

Sasuke observed the hyper blonde with wary eyes. Ever since their return from their first mission, Naruto's attitude towards him had softened; the fox stuck to his side like glue now, constantly yipping his head off about mundane topics.

His house, which had always been inflicted by the overbearing silence of those that had passed away, was now filled with sound and Naruto's laughter.

At times Sasuke almost found himself grinning back.

"So you can release more of your power now?" he asked, eyeing the tail that Naruto was obsessively stroking.

Naruto seemed disappointed that that was all he had to say, but he answered nonetheless. "Yup." He answered casually, dropping the tail. "I'm not sure of the extent though."

The raven-haired man thought back to the mission they had just come home from, his mind wandering to the fearsome image of the fox after losing his control. He wondered if that state was just a hint of the fox's unspoken powers, and his entire being trembled in want of seeing such power again.

However, the memory of hallow black eyes quelled that desire. If Naruto could release his powers without slipping into that lost state, Sasuke knew that he would feel a lot more reassurance.

"Looks like I've gotten stronger as well." Sasuke mused, clenching and on clenching his fist. The fight with Zabuza was ever fresh on his mind; the strength of his opponent continuously flashed in front of him as if reminding him that he had a long way to go.

_I'm here_.

Sasuke glanced at the blonde, who was looking to the side and trying very obviously not to pout over his master's indifference of his new tail.

He sighed, rubbing his temples.

"After we report to the Council, let's go out to eat tonight."

Naruto's eyes lit up like Christmas lights as he almost tripped in his excitement. "_Really!?_ "

Sasuke merely replied with another sigh, but the blonde didn't care.

"Ramen!" he exclaimed, advancing on Sasuke like a predator who had just sighted its prey. "Let's get ramen!"

Feeling uncomfortable with how closely the blonde loomed over him, the raven-haired man pushed him away with a scowl. "Sure, whatever. Just get away from me."

"_Rameeeennnnn!"_ the blonde sang happily, prancing out of the room with both his tails swaying behind him. Sasuke eyed them as the blonde left, noting that they seemed just as silky and fluffy as the blonde advertised them to be.

He almost smacked himself in the face with that thought.

Sasuke Uchiha did not like silky, fluffy things.

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"I see…that is rather troublesome news." Sarutobi sighed, his face wrinkled with age and responsibility. He sat with the rest of the council on either side of him as Sasuke and Naruto stood in the middle of the circular room, serving as the focus of every other occupant in the room.

"You say this man was from the mist?" a woman spoke.

"Yes." Sasuke confirmed. "I saw his hitai-ate clearly."

A soft murmur met his answer as each member of the council leaned towards Sarutobi, filling the room with muted whispers as the old man closed his eyes and listened.

"Enough." He said at last, his eyes springing open.

The room fell silent.

"I do not think that this was orchestrated by the Mist." He spoke, his voice ringing with power and authority despite the aged condition of his body. "It would be foolish to act on such suspicions without any evidence behind our accusations. It is common for ninjas to act of their own self-interest; one ninja working against us does not necessary reflect the wishes of his village."

Sasuke felt Naruto impatiently shift at his side and elbowed the blonde to settle down. They were in the presence of the most respected members of the village; the Council controlled all aspects of Konoha and had ruled over it fairly and objectively for more than a hundred years. All of them had once been ninjas with no equal, and now they stood as the literal backbone behind the village they had fought to protect.

"Still, we cannot ignore this dilemma." A new voice spoke. The speaker was Danzo, a man that Sasuke could never bring himself to like. He had seen Danzo several times whenever the Council was together, but each time he had felt something completely different from the man in comparison to the rest of the Council. Unspoken thoughts and schemes always seemed to be floating within the man's head, and Sasuke often wondered why Sarutobi would allow such a man to be at his side.

Additionally, ever since they had entered the room the man had had his gaze fixed on Naruto. Sasuke had subconsciously placed himself in front of the blonde, feeling inexplicably uncomfortable with the man's infatuation with the fox.

"Of course." Sarutobi readily agreed, clasping his hands together. "If other villages have also begun using Anima, the balance of this country will be destroyed. Only Konoha is permitted the use of Anima because we are accustomed to controlling such great power; any other village would be tainted by its possibilities."

"I would suggest a thorough investigation of Mist." Danzo spoke. "And a message should be sent to the other villages warning against any repeats of such behavior."

"The investigation will happen." Sarutobi replied. "But the other villages must not know. Because we do not have enough information, alerting them of the situation may only serve to cause us more trouble. I would not risk it."

"Do as you want." Danzo's voice was cold as he leaned back in his chair.

The room hummed with tension as the Council members shifted in their seats.

"You've done a good job, Sasuke Uchiha." Sarutobi praised at last, dispelling the mood by turning his attention back to the ninja in the center of the room. "For now, this Council has much to consider. We will contact you with your next mission soon."

"Understood." Sasuke nodded, tugging on the blonde's collar to follow him as he left. Naruto trotted after him faithfully, though cerulean eyes were narrowed in contemplation.

"I don't like that guy." He said at last, after they were out of earshot of the men in the room. "He's creepy."

"Danzo has been a loyal member of the Council for many years now." Sasuke snapped. "Though he's known to be abrasive, he only has Konoha's best interests in mind."

The blonde observed him for a moment before looking away cheekily. "It's funny that you instantly knew who I was talking about."

Sasuke didn't grace the statement with a reply, not willing to admit that he shared the blonde's sentiments.

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"So…that was the ninth."

Sarutobi took a sip of his tea. The rest of the Council had since departed, leaving only him and Danzo in the room.

"Yes." He answered simply, putting down his cup.

Danzo's eyes glittered. "Interesting."

"Your bad habit is showing again, old friend." Sarutobi spoke gently. "Leave the boy alone."

"And you're still as soft as ever." The man answered harshly. "You know better than anybody the potentials of that creature's existence. The past eight specimens are all useless now; however, this one has not only managed to preserve his sanity, but he's managed to form a new bond as well."

Sarutobi remained silent.

"Imagine." Danzo continued dreamily. "An Anima that does not expire after its master's death. A weapon that can be used endlessly without limit. _The possibilities are endless_."

"As always, your eyes are bigger than your stomach." Sarutobi shook his head. "Do not interfere with nature, Danzo. The bijuu are existences whose purpose is yet to be understood."

"Fool." The other man countered.

"Maybe." Sarutobi smiled kindly. "But I'll take my chances."

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"You're disgusting." Sasuke commented with repulsion as he watched the blonde inhale his fifth bowl of ramen.

"I don't care." The blonde countered, spitting food all over the counter as he did so.

Sasuke scowled deeply, waving away a waiter that attempted to clean up the mess.

"I'll take care of this idiot's mess." He grumbled, not willing to push the consequences of taking care of such unmannered beast onto an unsuspecting victim.

"Give me your face." He commanded. "You've got shit all over it. It's unsightly."

"It's worth it." Naruto answered happily, scrunching his nose as Sasuke mercilessly rubbed his face with a napkin.

"At least try to contain your food to a two foot radius." Sasuke sighed. "You've already splashed the next table over _and _the chef."

He still didn't know how that had even happened.

"You're like a mom, Sasuke." Naruto complained.

"No. I'm like a civilized person."

"Being civilized is overrated."

"You're just a dumbass."

"I'll let you insult me because you're paying for my ramen." The blonde grinned.

"This is why I say you're a dumbass." Sasuke retorted, while the blonde simply hummed in reply. The next few moments passed in silence, excluding the disgusting noises Naruto made as he loudly slurped the remaining contents of his bowl.

"Neh Sasuke. Can we come back?"

Sasuke looked around the room at the rest of the traumatized customers and knew he would be doing them all a favor by turning down the request.

"I'll make it for you at home next time." He replied begrudgingly, inwardly cursing at himself for being so soft. The look of absolute awe that Naruto shot him made it almost worth it however; the blonde was staring at him as if he had suddenly become a god.

"You know how to _make_ this!?"

The raven-haired man sighed, wondering just what he had gotten himself into.

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AlexandriteSky: Hahaha this scene was sadly based off of my dad when we were eating crab at a buffet…he kept on splashing the people around us while cracking open the legs and my mom and I were so embarrassed! Anyways, as always please review and let me know what you think!


	12. Sickness

AlexandriteSky: Thank you SO, so much for everybody who reviewed! I will never give up updating as long as you guys keep reviewing!

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"_Traitor."_

Dark, hallow eyes stared up at him as Naruto hesitated, his teeth clashing just above the Anima's neck. He was unaccustomed to receiving such raw hatred from one of his own kind, and it strung a guilty note within him.

"_You attacked my master." _He snarled back. _"Your life was forfeit the moment you chose to harm his."_

"_Spoken like a true pet." _The Anima hissed back. _"Does it feel good to be used? Are you happy having your life controlled for you?"_

Naruto's eyes flashed. _"You know nothing."_

"_Ha." _The Anima barked with laughter. _"I don't need to understand the thoughts of one who fights his own kind."_

"Fox!" Sasuke snapped from his position to the side. "Stop hesitating. Get rid of the trash."

"_Your human doesn't even call you by your name. What a beautiful partnership."_

"_Shut your mouth." _Naruto's mouth opened in a roar. He leaped forward, slamming the Anima's head down on the ground. _"No matter what you say, I won't allow you touch a single hair on Sasuke's head."_

Nonetheless, the fox found himself still unable to snap the other's neck.

There was something…unnatural about fighting other Anima. It went against his instincts, which called for him to take comfort in his own kind. In the past, his opponents had all been rogue ninja and dangerous assassins, and Naruto had taken them down without a shred of regret. Now, it was becoming all too apparent that the world had moved on while he remained trapped in his cage at the Nursery.

_Time stops for no one_.

_Especially not for those that were left behind._

"_A revolution is coming." _The Anima's eyes glittered with a conviction that chilled Naruto's blood. _"The Eight have spoken. No matter what you do, you won't be able to stop it."_

Its laugh sounded more like a prophecy.

"_Let's see how strong your 'bond' is when that time comes."_

Naruto stared down at his opponent, who had gone limp underneath his powerful grip. He released the other Anima slowly, his eyes unwavering from the other's prone form as he cautiously made his way back to Sasuke's side.

"That's the fourth one we've run into." Sasuke frowned. "And this time it's in Sand. Where are all of these rogue Anima coming from?"

The raven-haired man glanced at his partner, who was being uncharacteristically quiet.

"Fox." He snapped, jerking the blonde out of his thoughts.

"Ah." Naruto replied sheepishly. "Sorry. I was thinking."

Sasuke eyed him suspiciously. "Don't hurt yourself."

"Asshole!" the blonde complained with a scowl.

The dark-haired man shrugged. "I was just saying. Last week your head almost exploded after I taught you how to do your own laundry."

Naruto flushed a deep scarlet.

"That's different. I don't like getting wet unless I'm taking a bath." He grumbled, glancing to the side.

"If you did it correctly, you wouldn't get wet in the first place." Sasuke sighed, rubbing his temples.

"If you had actually _taught _me anything, I would!" the blonde protested. "Giving somebody a bucket full of their clothes and pointing at a stream does _not _constitute as teaching, I'll have you know! That's like pointing at a pile of wood and telling a child to build a house. Not cool."

"When I was little I built my own tree house so I could train in it."

"…"

"I chopped all of the wood by myself."

"…"

"I was five."

"Uggggghhhhh." Naruto groaned, rolling his eyes. "I give up. The almighty Sasuke will never understand the imperfections of others."

The look on Sasuke's face showed that he thought he was being perfectly reasonable, and Naruto wanted to sigh in misery.

"Let's just go home." He changed the topic, tugging on Sasuke's sleeve. They were in Sand completing another mission when the Anima had attacked, its focus seemingly on Sasuke as it attempted to slash his throat. In the past two weeks Sasuke and Naruto had already had similar encounters, and the blonde was growing extremely wary of such attacks.

An illness was beginning to plague the minds of Anima; Naruto could smell it in the air. It was an illness of thought with a disillusion for humankind, and it was beginning to stir throughout the country like a demon awoken from its rest.

Naruto shivered as he trotted after Sasuke, his eyes focused on the other man's back.

Things had only gotten worse since he last laid paws outside of the Nursery.

"_Naruto. This country is strong – but it has one weakness."_

_Naruto cocked his head to the side, his five tails swaying behind him. _

"_Itself."_

"_A sickness hides in the shadows, and it slowly creeps ever forward."_

"_I don't want it to touch our village."_

_The fox looked upwards, startled to hear such a stern tone from his ever-gentle master. He yipped questioningly, but all tension was already gone from his master's face as the tall man gave a pleasant chuckle._

"_Don't worry. We won't let it happen, right?"_

The blonde hastily unclenched his fist when he realized that his nails had drawn blood.

_Dangerous_.

Though Anima thrived on their partnerships with their human masters, there were still secrets that had yet to be told between the two races. These secrets were sacred, and were preserved within those who could still remember their whispers.

If what the Anima had spoken earlier was the truth…

Unknowingly, Naruto's face contorted as flickers of black leaked into his eyes.

"_Isn't it beautiful? Welcome to my village, Naruto."_

_The fox hid behind the man, his lips pulled back in a snarl as he voiced his suspicions._

"_Stop that." His master clouted him tenderly on the side of his head. "Come. This is your home too, now."_

"_One day, I hope that you will protect this village with me by my side."_

Naruto grimaced.

_They would not touch Konoha._

_Even if the nine of them were to reunite._

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Sasuke's hand hovered over the door handle as they approached the front door to the manor.

"It's unlocked." He stated shortly, pulling his hand back to his side. Proving his point, Sasuke lifted his foot and kicked open the front door, which swung open quickly with no resistance.

"Um…should we be freaking out? Did somebody break in?" Naruto asked before frowning. "If any of my ramen is gone, he's a dead man."

Sasuke merely entered the house with a look of indifference. "The booby traps weren't set off." He answered calmly, tossing his keys to the side. "So it wasn't a forced entry."

Naruto's frown deepened. "…Okay…"

The raven-haired man sighed. "There's only one person other than I that can freely come and go from the compound."

"Really?" the blonde asked, a bit flabbergasted. There was somebody that Sasuke trusted enough to own a key to his house!?

Instantly he felt a little flash of jealousy.

_I don't even have a key yet!_

For some reason, Sasuke had been under the impression that he would lose it.

"Sasuke! It's been too long!" a voice called cheerfully from the hallway leading to the kitchen. Naruto watched apprehensively as a tall, silver-haired man came into view, and his gaze immediately flew to the mask that covered half of his face.

_He looked like a scarecrow._

_A goofy scarecrow._

"Kakashi." Sasuke greeted dryly, his face unchanging. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

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AlexandriteSky: Kakashi appears! I'm in a rush to get this chapter updated so ta ta for now, and please leave me a review! Reading your responses make my day!


	13. Guardian

AlexandriteSky: Many thanks to my beautiful reviewers! I'm sorry for the wait, but I'm having a hard time finding a place to sit down and write. Hopefully that problem will be solved soon!

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"Such a cold reception." Kakashi shook his head dramatically with a feigned look of sadness. "Is this really the way to treat your guardian after three years? After _all _the trouble I went through in order to take you under my wing and raise you with my tender and loving care?"

Sasuke's face was unmoving though there was an annoyed tick in his brow that had been absent previously.

"Fox. Get him some tea." he gritted out, grabbing the attention of Nartuo behind him.

Kakashi beamed in reply. "Now that's better. I would have made it myself while waiting for you to get home, but I just couldn't find where everything was!"

"You're just lazy, don't bother with the excuses." Sasuke sighed, wanting to roll his eyes. Kakashi would never change; ever since Sasuke was a child, Kakashi had remained as the single most irresponsible adult he had ever known. It was questionable as to who had taken care of whom during the years that Kakashi had been around. The man was utterly incapable of taking care of himself, much less some traumatized relative who had recently come under his care.

Kakashi's face radiated with mock hurt. "Why Sasuke, I never knew you had such a low opinion of me."

Instantly after speaking the scarecrow noticed the blonde creeping behind Sasuke's back, and his eyes creased in a pleasant smile when they locked gazes. "And this much be your new Anima. Nice to meet you! I'm Kakashi Hatake, the caretaker of this _particularly _grumpy human being."

Sasuke glared at his guardian for a second before turning to his fox, who had yet to reply as his grip tightened on Sasuke's sleeve.

_Huh. He's shy._

Never would have guessed.

"It's okay. You don't have to meet this man." he said stoically, unlatching the blonde's protesting fingers from him. "He's a waste of space anyways."

Kakashi's smile widened at the scene as he ignored the blatant insult. It had been years since Sasuke allowed another to touch him willingly, and it was even more shocking for him to instigate it.

If anybody had been paying attention to him at the moment, Kakashi would have released a dramatic wail about how good it was to see Sasuke growing up. However, since he was being pointedly ignored the scarecrow chose to contain his excitement and instead stand silently to the side like a mature adult.

_It was certainly difficult being mature._

"Hullo." the blonde said at last, his cerulean eyes alight with good humor. With the fox's furry tails behind him and perky set of ears, he presented a picture of overwhelming cuteness that almost hurt to look at.

_No wonder even Sasuke was being affected._

Kakashi couldn't resist reaching out a hand and scratching behind the blonde's ears, much to Naruto's shock. However, his surprise was quickly replaced with euphoric pleasure at the scarecrow's ministrations, and soon he found himself giving yips of pleasure as the older man switched ears.

Meanwhile, Sasuke couldn't help but feel irritated that the blonde had been so easily won over. Even more, Naruto was now practically limp with pleasure as Kakashi rubbed down his ears, and everything was making Sasuke's mood drop lower than his usual annoyance.

The fox was starving for attention, and it seemed as though it didn't have to be Sasuke to give it to him.

"That's enough. Don't spoil him." he intervened, slapping away Kakashi's hand with a sour expression. Naruto recovered slowly, cerulean eyes blinking up dreamily at him and serving only to aggravate Sasuke further.

"Don't be an ass, Sasuke." the blonde frowned. "He was just being nice."

"He doesn't need to be nice to you." Sasuke snapped, not caring that Kakashi was smirking at him from the side. "Go get the tea."

Naruto sulked but obeyed, his cerulean eyes stormy as he marched into the kitchen.

"Shitty fox." Sasuke muttered under his breath as he watched him go. He turned to face Kakashi and cursed again upon seeing that the man's smirk had grown even wider. The scarecrow clearly had many things he wanted to say, but a sense of self-preservation seemed to hold him back.

"Awww are you _jealous?_"

Never mind.

The man obviously had a death wish.

"You can do it too, you know." Kakashi stated with a more serious tone. "You have hands."

"How I deal with my Anima is my business alone." Sasuke hissed, narrowing his eyes. "Don't interfere, Kakashi."

The scarecrow shrugged. "Well, I have to offer you my input at least. It's my job as your guardian."

Sasuke looked away. "His last master spoiled him. I'm fixing his mistakes."

Kakashi restrained himself from heaving a deep sigh. "His last master _loved _him, Sasuke. There's no harm in that."

The scarecrow backtracked, suddenly registering the words he had just said. "Wait, his last _master_!?"

A suddenly chill ran straight through him, and he gazed at Sasuke with none of his previous humor. "Sasuke…you didn't…."

"Don't ask me." Sasuke's eyes were not on him and instead focused on a piece of furniture at the front of the room. "I don't know the details."

The scarecrow began pacing back and forth in the room, his eyes narrowed in thought. Sasuke watched him do so stoically, wondering what the man was thinking so deeply about. Kakashi was a man that did not easily become serious, but he knew to do so in appropriate situations.

"Sasuke." the man spoke at last. "You've gotten yourself into something way over your head."

The raven-haired man scowled. "I know what I'm doing."

"Do you?" Kakashi eyes pierced through Sasuke like spears, causing him to hesitate.

"…Hn."

"This is top secret information." Kakashi sighed, crossing to the other side of the room so that his back was turned. "But there have only been nine cases in which Anima have been able to survive after a broken bond. The newest case was only reported recently – I had no idea it was referring to you. That must mean this boy is the Kyuubi?"

"He said his name is Naruto." Sasuke spoke, feeling an uncomfortable churning in his stomach.

"That is his human-given name, of course." Kakashi sat down, looking wary. He glanced up at Sasuke, and the raven-haired man was a bit startled to see concern shining so honestly in the older man's eyes.

"Sasuke, the other eight have all gone insane. After losing their previous master's, each and every one of their minds slowly began degrading, until they no longer recognized friend from foe. They're _dangerous_."

"All the better." Sasuke replied, steadfast in his conviction not to let Kakashi's words affect him. He had already known that he was picking up something special when he had chosen to take Naruto home with him; Kakashi's words did not shake him. "We have a dangerous life style, Kakashi. If we fear it too, we won't be able to move forward."

Kakashi gazed at him evenly.

"You don't even know who his last master _was_, do you?"

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Naruto bustled around in the kitchen, desperately trying to remember the steps to making tea that Sasuke had taught him before. He grabbed the tea pot from the cabinet and opened the container of tea to his right before pausing momentarily.

_Okay, so the leafy green shit goes into the metal-thingy…_

Outside he could hear Sasuke and his guardian talking, though their words were muted by the door. Naruto decided that it was nice that Sasuke still had somebody looking out for him, even after what had happened to him in the past – the man was warm and caring, though a little loony in the head.

The blonde allowed himself a small, secret smile.

Now he had somebody looking after him as well. Sasuke was stern, harsh, and as unfeeling as a cold concrete wall; however, the man's hands were gentle whenever they touched him, and he cleaned up after all of the fox's messiness with only two to three syllable insults. Though Naruto was still fighting to become accustomed to the man's cold attitude, he was slowly learning the subtle nuances of what made up the seemingly impenetrable fortress that was Sasuke.

"_Making your master tea? How domesticated."_

The familiar voice drifted into his mind, and Naruto's eyes instantly bled crimson as the tea pot unceremoniously dropped from his hands.

"_Where are you!?" _he hissed, whirling around. His nose located the speaker a few feet away from the compound, and Naruto locked gazes with pitch black orbs that peered at him through the window.

For a moment Naruto stood there frozen, unable to process the sudden meeting with a character he had hoped to never meet again.

"_Gaara." _he said at last, eyes narrowing. Even from their distance he could feel Gaara's deep laugh as the raccoon grinned widely.

The blonde shivered. There was something terribly _wrong_ with that smile.

"_You too, huh?" _Naruto asked sadly. _"Looks like it's true. You've all become mad."_

"_No." _Gaara's eyes glittered powerfully. _"__**Free**__. There are no longer any chains that restrict our powers. We are finally who we were meant to be without having to subjugate ourselves to the despicable humans."_

Dark eyes bore into his own.

"_Join us, Kyuubi. You are one of the original nine. It is not in our nature to fight amongst ourselves."_

"_You've lost your mind." _Naruto backed away, fists clenched. _"You're no longer the Gaara I knew_."

The raccoon cocked his head to the side, his grin disappearing. _"Is that your answer, Kyuubi?"_

"_Yes." _Naruto replied, baring his teeth menacingly. "_Now __**leave, **__before I make you."_

"_With all of your two tails!?" _Gaara shrieked with laughter. _"I don't think you need me to tell you what a foolish idea that is. You are in no condition to fight __**any **__of us right now."_

Naruto knew it was true but stood his ground nonetheless.

"_Don't worry. This was just a friendly greeting." _Gaara stood. _"I'll be back."_

"_Gaara. What are you planning?" _Naruto's eyes narrowed. The raccoon merely grinned one last time before dipping backwards, disappearing into the shadows of the surrounding foliage. Naruto watched him leave, his heart jumping against his chest as his hands shook. The tea pot lay on top of the counter, slightly cracked from where Naruto had dropped it, and tea was leaking all over the counter and floors.

It was a bit surprising that Sasuke hadn't come charging in yet, equipped with disappointed scowls and exasperated sighs. Naruto cleaned up the mess himself, his thoughts far away as he mopped up the spilt liquid.

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AlexandriteSky: Thank you so much for reading! Please leave a review and I will have the next chapter up as soon as I can!


	14. Irritation

AlexandriteSky: Hey guys, I'm officially failing physics…I just don't get it. At all. It seems as though I can do organic chemistry and calculus 2 just fine, but physics may as well be another language for all I know. So if it takes me longer to update…it's because I'm trying to salvage any chances I have of not completely flunking this semester. Don't worry though, I still plan on updating just as frequently!

AlexandriteSky: A warm thanks to those that reviewed, it really does make my day!

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"_You don't even know who his last master was, do you?"_

From the way he froze Kakashi thought Sasuke might react, but he was surprised instead by the look of utter disinterest that slid across his young charge's face. The man looked as though Kakashi had just pointed out the weather, and dark onyx eyes pierced through him like spears.

"So?" Sasuke asked, his voice flat.

"So…eh?" Kakashi scratched the side of his head. He had long since given up trying to understand what went through Sasuke's mind; the younger man faced the world with a completely different point of view than most.

The lack of excitement was sorely disappointing though.

After all he had done to build up to the surprise, too…

"Does anything change once I know?" Sasuke continued, crossing his arms. "Does learning about somebody's who's already dead help me in any way?"

The scarecrow was at a loss for words.

"I haven't asked yet because I don't care." The raven-haired man stated coldly. "Naruto's burden is mine now. This is _my _life, and _my _bond – what does his old master have anything to do with that?"

"I guess I thought you'd want to know." Kakashi spoke, scrambling for words to cover his astonishment. Curiosity was an innate human trait; there was simply no way that Sasuke 'didn't care' about his fox's past.

"You want to tell me things as if you know more than I do about my own damn fox?" Sasuke demanded crossly.

"_That pisses me off_."

Sasuke truly had a magnificently horrible attitude, Kakashi decided. He was stubborn to the point of idiocy and avoided the advice of others like the plague – yet the scarecrow admired him all the same. At times like this, when normal people would falter, he charged blindly ahead like a mad man. Kakashi sometimes found himself envious of his overwhelming confidence that allowed him to never lose sight of his goals.

He couldn't help but laugh, which only served to deepen Sasuke's scowl.

"Do you have something to say old man?"

Kakashi's jaw dropped. "Did you just call me…_old_?"

His voice squeaked out the last word.

Sasuke shrugged. "You're getting up there."

"I'M ONLY THIRTY YOU BRAT."

The sound of Kakashi's voice resounded through the compound, and it was quickly accompanied by a thud as Kakashi leaped at the younger man. Sasuke dodged his childish antics with ease, clearly having experienced this situation before.

This was the scene that met Naruto has he walked through the front door, and the blonde developed into a fit of giggles at the look of pure and utter disgust painted on Sasuke's face while Kakashi crawled towards him.

"Fox." Sasuke snarled, noticing him. "Get him _away _from me. This is an order!"

The blonde looked in between the two of them nervously, his tails whisking back and forth and his face shone with poorly masked uncertainty. After another moment he spun around on the balls of his heels and hurriedly rushed back into the kitchen. "I forgot to get sugar!"

Sasuke scowled murderously.

The sugar had been lying in clear view on top of the tray that the blonde had just rushed back into the kitchen with.

_Bullshit_.

He turned his attention back to the man flailing in front of him and fought to reign in his temper.

"Get out." He barked, planting one solid foot on Kakashi's face and pushing the squirming man away from him.

"But Shasukeee…" Kakashi whined as best he could with half of his face mashed in. Sasuke merely responded by digging his heel in deeper, and the silver-haired man frowned deeply as he turned his back on his younger charge.

"If I leave now, I won't be able to try any of Naru-chan's tea." He pouted, grabbing the blonde who had timidly reappeared at the doorway. The blonde squeaked in a rather unmanly way, cerulean eyes terrified as he struggled to prevent the tea in his hands from tipping.

The vein that had been throbbing on Sasuke's forehead for a while now grew bigger.

"Don't call him that. Don't touch him." His voice was flat, and he took ahold of Kakashi's collar and dragged him to the front door. Once outside, he dropped the older man onto the ground like a scolded puppy. "You don't need to visit again."

Kakashi shook his head with a patronizing sigh. "Sasuke, you should know better than to try to hog Naru-chan all to yourself." He spoke, loving the way Sasuke's eyes almost bulged.

"What the fuck are you -"

"Naru-chan, it was nice to meet you! I'll bring my partner with me the next time I visit" Kakashi called over Sasuke's shoulder at the blonde, who nodded and waved in response after a second's hesitation.

"I said don't call him -"

"Sasuke. Please remember my words from earlier, okay?" Kakashi asked seriously, resting one hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "Let me know if you need anything – I'm always here for you."

"Kakashi, I swear to god if you don't stop -"

"Well, I guess I've overstayed my welcome!" the scarecrow chuckled, his back straightening. He walked back whistling, his eye arching upwards at the sound of Sasuke's frustrated roar which caused the very earth itself to tremble.

His right hand tickled his hitai-ate ever so slightly.

_Was it okay to not tell him?_

Kakashi shook his head. Sasuke had chosen his fate when he had chosen to bond with the Kyuubi – he now shared the burdens of the Bijuu, and it would be only a matter of time before Sasuke himself came to understand what that responsibility meant.

Even Kakashi didn't tell him, Sasuke would find out for himself soon enough.

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"Hello, My name is Kabuto! Thank you for accepting my request for a bodyguard." The man greeted pleasantly, holding out a hand to Sasuke. Kabuto had a kind face with eyes that were crinkled from smiling too much, and he shouldered a large bag that seemed to have been filled to its absolute maximum capacity. It was practically half his size, and the man struggled to hold it as he ever-so-slightly swayed back and forth under its massive weight.

Sasuke looked at the offered hand with disinterest. "Hn." He walked past the man without a second glance. "Don't thank me. I'm only doing as I'm told."

Naruto blushed slightly as the raven-haired man stalked away. Sasuke had been particularly moody since Kakashi's visit, and it seemed as though his irritation was practically bursting at the seams.

"Sorry about that." He smiled up at their client. "Sasuke's a little pissed right now. I'm Naruto!"

Kabuto's eyes slowly swept over him starting from the tips of his ears down to the length of his tails, and Naruto swallowed nervously as the man's face became guarded.

"Interesting." The man hummed. "You are an Anima?"

"Mhmmmm." Naruto nodded, wondering if it was really so strange. What did he expect after asking help from ANBU? A startled cry escaped him as Kabuto removed his large bag and threw it on him, the man's eyes narrowing as he watched Naruto struggle under the heavy weight.

"Carry that for me and keep up." He spoke coldly before rushing to catch up with Sasuke, who had been silently watching from a few feet away.

Stunned, Naruto could do nothing but stare after his retreating back.

…_the fuck!?_

His two tails waved dangerously with irritation as he slowly stood, his small form protesting against the large bag.

_Foxes weren't made for heavy lifting!_

_First climbing trees, now this…_

_What the fuck were people even __**thinking**__ nowadays!?_

"Kabuto was it?" Sasuke's deep rumble returned him from his thoughts, and Naruto looked up to see that Sasuke was now standing with Kabuto.

"Yes!" the man replied, his face slipping back into its overly pleasant mask.

Naruto's eyes narrowed.

_He smelled something rotten_.

"I would recommend that you remove a few articles from your luggage for the journey." Sasuke spoke impassively, his gaze unflinching as he pinned Kabuto with a hard glare. "It is burdensome for me if any of us are compromised during a dangerous situation."

"Ah." Kabuto's smile grew smaller. "Ah. Of course."

Without a word he snatched the bag back from Naruto and quickly sorted out the things that he could do without (why the _fuck_ had he even tried to bring his mattress?) . By the time he was done, the bag was only half as heavy as it was before, and after zipping it up he carelessly tossed it back to Naruto.

_What an __**asshole**__. _

The blonde's gaze darkened, but a single warning glance from Sasuke told him to bear it. A client was a client, and would be treated as such; it would only cause trouble for Sasuke if he were to make a scene. The fox could only imagine what Sasuke would do to him if the mission went sour because of his temper.

Naruto grit his teeth.

Sasuke was _so_ making him a bowl ramen once they got back from this mission.

Scratch that, _ten_ bowls.

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AlexandriteSky: I've always held a special hatred for Kabuto…I love you all for reading this far, please review like always!


	15. Found

AlexandriteSky: I'm in a rush to get this chapter up, so enjoy!

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"_**Don't let him escape!"**_

_Kyuubi scrambled through the busy crowd, his small sleek form weaving in between all of the people as he ran from the guards following close behind. His movements were still clumsy, and many times he fought against tripping over his feet as the small kit shook with both exhilaration and fear._

_**Scary.**_

_**So scary.**_

_**Humans were scary.**_

_The fox continued to run, his eyes trained upon the village's exit. A single slab of meat remained snagged within his mouth, and the fox protected the morsel religiously as he ran for his life. All around him people drew back in disgust, their eyes cruel as they watched him dash by._

_A sharp sting erupted near his abdomen, and Naruto barely had time to register the pain before another rock went whizzing by his head. _

_The onlookers were beginning to throw things at him, and a few had surprisingly good accuracy. Kyuubi yelped pitifully under the rain of rocks and garbage, his nose quivering as he desperately tried to speed up his pace._

_**Scary.**_

_He had watched the village for years now. It lay at the foot of the mountain from where he came, and Kyuubi had always loved to observe the humans, drinking in their sparkling laughter and warm chatter. Because it was young, the fox was lonely, and his yearning for companionship had only grown stronger from watching the village from afar._

_**Wrong.**_

_**I was wrong.**_

_The small kit let out a whine as one stone hit its mark, striking his face with pinpoint accuracy. It sent stars to his vision but Kyuubi knew better than stop; if he lets the humans catch him, his life would be forfeit to the jeering, stone-throwing crowd._

_His instincts screamed for him to run._

_There was no companionship here, only the painful blade of rejection. Kyuubi could feel it pierce through him as he ran, and when he finally managed to escape to the foot of the mountain he didn't look back a single time before being engulfed in the mountain's warm embrace. _

_**Painful.**_

_**So painful.**_

_**Lonely.**_

_Somewhere in the back of his head, Kyuubi knew that this was a dream as he flew by a blur of trees on his way back to the top of the mountain. It had been years and years since he had left its protective arms, yet now it appeared before him without a single detail out of place._

_Still, he could do nothing to stop the rapid hammering of his heart or the cold fear flooding through him, and the fox desperately lunged forward with blood dripping from his many cuts and scrapes._

_Hadn't somebody taken him away from this wretched place?_

_Where was he?_

_The fear consumed him. _

_**Cold.**_

_**Lonely.**_

_**Painful.**_

_The fox opened his mouth wide and howled into the sky. He crooned for the man to come back, to once again take him away from this place and teach him of warmth and love._

_Kyuubi wailed until his throat was sore, and after what seemed like hours the fox slunk back into his cave with his tails drooping in misery._

_Even in his dreams, his master would not return._

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Sasuke and Kabuto were both startled when Naruto suddenly released a slow, pleading whine in his sleep, and the men turned to see the fox twitching violently from the bed of dirt he had settled on nearby.

"A nightmare." Kabuto sneered, his expression one of complete indifference. "How trivial."

The raven-haired man glanced at him briefly before returning his attentions to the map stretched out in front of them. They were currently camped on the outskirts of Sound, the destination Kabuto had hoped to reach. The journey from Konoha had taken an entire day's worth of travel, and once darkness settled Sasuke had deemed it safer to stop by a nearby lake for the night and continue the mission the next day.

From what he knew, Kabuto was some kind of scientist who was traveling to Sound to exchange important research. The fact that Konoha had accepted his request for his bodyguard showed that the man was either of importance or coin, but Sasuke knew better than to ask questions.

It wasn't as if he particularly cared to know, anyways.

"I don't know how you can stand them." The silver-haired man spoke suddenly, adjusting his glasses. His gaze was back on Naruto, and Sasuke observed the barely concealed disgust in the man's eyes as he glared at the fox's shaking form.

Not minding the other man's lack of response, Kabuto continued with his musings. "My parents were killed by one of those things." He hissed. "They're beasts that can steal our image, like a wolf in sheep's clothing; they trample on the line that divides our species, manipulating humans into not noticing their treachery!"

The thought of Naruto trying to plan anything more complicated than his next meal was so ridiculous that Sasuke had to resist the bubble of amusement that resulted from it. He kept his outward countenance cool and collected, though on the inside he scoffed at the man's laughable accusations.

Still, Sasuke could understand the throbbing need for vengeance.

He had one of his own, after all.

"Hn." He sounded as Kabuto stared at him, obviously expecting a reply. He wasn't sure what Kabuto was trying to achieve by voicing his opinions to him, so he remained silent and allowed the other man to talk.

"Have you ever seen one go insane?" Kabuto asked, his voice lowering.

Hallow black orbs haunted his memory. "…no."

"We call it insanity, but I hear some of _them_ call it **freedom**." The other man was now whispering furiously, as if scared that the slumbering fox would awaken in the middle of their conversation. "It's something you'd never forget for the rest of your life. You see how much _raw power_ they've been hiding away, and you wonder what they're saving it for."

The fact that Naruto didn't even have the capacity to learn how to make his own ramen caused Sasuke to highly doubt that any secret plans floated within the fox's head.

"Kabuto. Whether or not what you say is true, I think in this case you're sorely overestimating the intelligence of my Anima." Sasuke spoke as Naruto released another sad whine. The raven-haired man exhaled and stood, crossing over to where the fox violently kicked on his side. The fox was breathing heavily, and Sasuke gazed down at him mutely for a moment before squatting down with a wary sigh.

Kabuto watched from the side, his eyes steely as he watched the raven-haired man flick the sleeping fox on the forehead.

"Wake up." Sasuke said crossly. "Shitty fox."

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_Kyuubi curled up into himself, whimpering quietly as he buried his face underneath his tails. _

_Nobody was coming for him._

_Perhaps it had all been a dream. The warmth, the happiness, the cruelty of having it all ripped away…perhaps __**that**__ had been the dream, and he had been in this cave all along._

_The fox shook._

_He didn't want that._

_One more time, he lifted his head, and though he was exhausted he released one last wail into the starry night above. He waited until the echoes stopped, his heart pounding against his chest as he stared at the entrance of his prison._

_**Please come.**_

_**Please.**_

_For a few heart-pounding seconds he waited, and when nothing appeared Naruto lowered his head with his ears flattened against his skull._

_**Abandoned**__._

_The man that had saved him once was no longer on this Earth._

_Of course he wouldn't come._

_**What to do?**_

_The fox didn't have the strength to leave the cave alone. If no one would come, he would rot away – just as he would have all those years ago. The fox waited and waited, his eyes trained on the entrance even as the rest of him slowly gave up._

_Suddenly, a figure appeared, and Kyuubi's head shot up. Relief flooded through him as if some dam had just been broken, and Kyuubi could barely contain it as the figure drew nearer._

_**Saved**__._

_**He came.**_

"_Wake up." Sasuke spoke, looking down at him with his usual cold gaze. "Shitty fox."_

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"Sasuke!"

The raven-haired man jerked backwards in surprise as the slumbering fox awoke suddenly, and a moment later he found himself wrapped in a tight embrace as the blonde plastered himself to his side.

"Sasuke." The blonde sobbed, his small form shaking pitifully. Feeling incredibly awkward, and more than aware of Kabuto's sharp gaze on them, the raven-haired man allowed the blonde to cling onto him for a few more seconds before prying Naruto's grip from his clothes.

"Fox." He spoke with a frown. "What are you, a woman?"

Naruto wiped at his eyes, his terror subsiding and being replaced by the self-awareness that they were still in the middle of a mission. "N-no." he replied, desperately trying to stop the stream of tears that was pouring from his eyes. "S-Sorry." He apologized, turning around so that he could scramble for something that he could wipe his face with.

Sasuke sighed again. "Come here." He ordered with a scowl, motioning for the blonde to sit down. Naruto obeyed immediately, not wanting to cause Sasuke to lose any more face in front of Kabuto's indecipherable gaze.

"-Ish okay, Sasuke." Naruto mumbled as Sasuke furiously scrubbed his face with a spare scrap of cloth. "'m fine."

"You're an idiot." Sasuke replied shortly. "And that's all you'll ever be."

"You're always cleaning up for me." The blonde spoke glumly, though he liked the feel of Sasuke's warm palm against his face as the other worked to make him presentable.

"Again, it's because you're an idiot."

Naruto elapsed into silence, his face scrunched tightly until Sasuke finally deemed his work complete and stepped back. The blonde glanced upwards shyly. "…Thank you, 'Suke."

"Go back to sleep, fox." Sasuke spoke, turning around. "Tomorrow we leave at sunrise."

The blonde nodded, his eyes watching his master as the raven-haired man returned to the fireside to pour over his maps. He was grateful – so very, very grateful – and this sentiment made it hard for him to be separated from Sasuke's side.

Sasuke glanced up to see Naruto settled down beside him, frowning when the blonde leaned his head against the rather uncomfortable log he was sitting upon.

"…cold over there." Was all the blonde said before closing his eyes.

The raven-haired man rolled his eyes before turning back to the map. "Stupid fox. That's why you have fur."

He was well aware of Kabuto's eyes trained upon the two of them, but he didn't care. His job was to escort Kabuto safely to the research center in Sound – not to listen to or agree with his opinions. If the silver-haired man truly believed all Anima were blood thirsty killers, Sasuke would do nothing to dissuade him; it was none of his business, anyways.

What _was _his business was the blonde sleeping next to his side. Naruto was already back in deep slumber, and his head began nodding forward, drawing closer and closer to the flame with each jerk. Sasuke pushed the blonde's head down until it was resting against the ground, not wanting to learn how foxes liked being on fire.

_Idiot._

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Alexandrite: Thank you so much to all those read until this point! I'm really, really grateful. Please leave a review letting me know what you think!


	16. Disappointment

AlexandriteSky: Wow, this fic has received over 10,000 views in just this month alone! I'm so unbelievably happy! And to those who review, all of my chapters are dedicated to you! Thank you!

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"…I don't like this place." Naruto commented in a small voice as he drew back to walk with Sasuke. The raven-haired man glanced down at his partner, onyx eyes taking in the blatant worry that painted the other man's face.

It was becoming apparent that while the fox's mind was sometimes similar to that of a five year-old's, his instincts were not. Regardless, Sasuke could feel it too, as though the very air around them breathed with ill-intent.

They had spent the earlier half of the day completing the journey to Sound, and now they strolled through one of its streets as Kabuto led them to the research facilities. Their client had yet to speak since the morning, and even then his words had been terse. It was clear that Kabuto strongly disapproved of Naruto's presence and even more so of Sasuke's tolerance for it.

The blonde's hand reached for his sleeve. "Why is it so quiet?"

Sasuke pursed his lips but wasn't surprised by the fox's inquiry. The atmosphere of Sound was a sharp contrast to that of Konoha's; the loud bustling of villagers was replaced by the silence of privacy as people scurried about, their faces lowered to the ground.

The village had just recently been built, so Sasuke wasn't surprised that this was Naruto's first visit.

"Sound is a village that focuses primarily on research." He answered shortly. "The people here lead different lifestyles."

Naruto surveyed his surroundings with no little wariness. "…Oh."

"What Sasuke said is true." Kabuto spoke up, surprising the both of them. Sasuke had been under the impression that their client would remain silent until the very end of the mission; that was the feeling the silver-haired man had given off, at the very least. It seemed as though entering the village had lifted his spirits – he now turned to the two of them with his usual pleasant smile which had been absent for the entirety of that morning.

"This is a village where the most prominent intellectuals gather. Its purpose can be compared to Konoha, which stands as the base for this country's best Shinobi. The best minds come here to collaborate, and it houses the most advanced technology available in the country." He explained, his voice laced with pride.

"What kind of research is being done?" Sasuke asked evenly.

"Research of every nature, Sasuke." Kabuto's eyes twinkled.

The blonde's grip tightened on his sleeve.

"Interesting." Sasuke remained brief. Though he disapproved of the blonde's overly apparent cautiousness, he shared the same sentiments.

The less time spent in this village, the better.

"In fact, we've even been looking into _your_ situation, Naruto." Kabuto continued, surprisingly the two he conversed with. "How can it be that you're still alive at this moment? Everybody is dying to know."

Sasuke stiffened immediately as alarms went off in his head while Naruto shrunk back at his side. "…I wasn't aware that our situation was known to others." He replied dryly, resisting the sudden urge to push the blonde behind him. He didn't like the look in Kabuto's eyes, and he _certainly_ didn't appreciate any efforts to take the fox away from him.

Naruto was his, and only his, to use.

_How the hell did he know anyways?_

"Of course, Sasuke." It was becoming apparent that adjusting his glasses was a common habit of his. "I requested for you in particular for this mission, to tell the truth. I wanted to confirm the rumor with my own eyes."

"What rumor?" Sasuke demanded, becoming increasingly frustrated with Kabuto's vague replies. It hadn't bothered him until now, but Kabuto had perfected the ability to dodge questions with the ease of a skilled politician. Sasuke wondered why such a man was working for Konoha and viewed his interest in Naruto with suspicion.

Kabuto laughed, his face lit mysteriously with glee. "That the last of the original nine has finally come out of hiding."

_Original nine…?_

By his side Naruto hissed, and before Sasuke could think too much on Kabuto's words he found himself restraining a large fox as Naruto attempted to charge the elusive man. The raven-haired man grit his teeth as he held the fox back, anger coursing through him at his blonde's lack of restraint. Very rarely did the blonde act out without permission, and never had he struggled against Sasuke's grasp like he did now.

The fox's skull collided with his in his attempt to escape from his grip, but Sasuke's arms only tightened despite the sharp stinging of his head.

"_Shitty fox_." He ground out, at last throwing him and pinning the struggling fox to the ground. "What the _fuck_ is your problem!?"

Naruto wiggled underneath him, crimson eyes blazing with a raw emotion that Sasuke could not identify. For a moment the raven-haired man drew back, trying to understand the thoughts that brewed underneath his startling gaze. All around them guards had begun to gather, while Kabuto laughed in the background.

"Murderers. All of them!" he chuckled, shaking his head. "As you would expect."

Sasuke kept one firm grip against the fox's head and looked up.

"Kabuto." He spoke dangerously. "Send the guards away. This idiot is my responsibility – I'll punish him myself."

Underneath him, the fox stilled.

"Oh?" Kabuto's brow rose. "If you say it that way…" he motioned for the guards to leave and they did so slowly, most of them still shooting distrustful glares. Sasuke allowed himself a moment of relief before shoving the now calm fox to the side.

"Stand up." He snarled angrily.

Naruto shivered and did as he was told. With a flash he was back in his human form, and his head hung as he slowly trudged back to Sasuke's side. He had no excuse for his behavior – he had simply panicked upon hearing Kabuto's words and acted irrationally. Sasuke rigid form practically exuded disappointment, and Naruto found himself unable to meet his master's eyes as he stationed himself a few feet away from the raven-haired man.

_He had caused Sasuke trouble_.

The blonde bit his lip, and for a brief moment he locked gazes with Kabuto.

The amusement in the other man's eyes filled him with dread.

_Why did he know?_

The secret of the Bijuu had been protected by Anima for over a hundred years now. Why did it now leave a human's mouth?

What had happened while he slept at the Nursery?

"Fox." Sasuke's voice distracted him from his thoughts, and Naruto shrank back from the anger dripping from the man's voice. "Don't forget your place. You have _no right_ to attack a human unless given the order to do so."

Never before had Naruto felt so small as Sasuke walked away, and despite all of his hopes the raven-haired man never once looked back. The blonde scurried afterwards, his heart pounding against his chest as Kabuto watched the scene with a smile.

"Gomen." He said quietly, catching up to the raven-haired man and tugging on his sleeve. He recoiled when Sasuke slapped his hand away.

"We'll talk later." The raven-haired man said brusquely, not sparing him a glance. "Kabuto. Are we close to our destination?"

"Ah, yes." The silver-haired man replied, running to catch up. "We're only one block away, actually."

Naruto hung back, holding his smarting hand sadly as he trailed after the two men in front of him. Kabuto occasionally looked backwards with content smiles, but Sasuke never once did the same.

_He was disappointed_.

The fox's head hung in shame. He hadn't attacked a civilian since meeting his last master, and it had been an achievement that he had always been proud of.

This wasn't the side he wanted to show Sasuke.

A few minutes later they arrived at a tall white building with no particular markings. Kabuto halted and his smile widened as he turned to face the other two. "We've arrived. I will be meeting my associate on the fourth floor."

His eyes met Sasuke's. "Would you accompany me for a mere five additional minutes? Quite honestly I'm exhausted, and my bag is a bit too heavy to carry at the moment."

_It's the least you can do to make up for before_, his eyes said though his face never changed.

Sasuke grit his teeth. He didn't really have a choice, did he?

"Oh, but Naruto must stay here." The silver-haired man added sternly. "There are no Anima allowed in this building, out of fear of adding an additional variable to some of the experiments taking place."

_Away from Sasuke?_

"B-But-" Naruto protested, only to be silenced by Sasuke.

"You'll stay here." He snapped, glaring the blonde down with a look of utter authority. "Don't move a fucking step, got it?"

The fox trembled as Sasuke leaned down to grab the bag from him before following Kabuto, who had already began his entrance into the building. Naruto watched Sasuke's back until it disappeared, unable to restrain the fear the seized him.

_When was the last time he had been alone in a human village?_

Ironically, the last time he could remember was the day he had dreamed about the previous night.

_Even after all this time, it was still scary._

Naruto waited and waited, his anxiety rising as he stared at the door that never reopened. He started when shadows loomed over him, and his eyes widened as he saw that the guards from earlier now surrounded him, blocking any possible routes for escape.

They drew closer to him, their blades reflecting the rays of the sun. Naruto shook violently, every strand of hair on his tails standing straight up as he pressed himself against the side of the building.

_Sasuke…_

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AlexandriteSky: Please R&R! I'll have the next update up soon!


	17. Taken

AlexandriteSky: I didn't want to make you guys wait too long after that awful cliffy, so here's the next chapter!

AlexandriteSky: I would really like to thank **bookgirl111, mikako17, Opnbf, Kelly185891, mikan27lover, Narutopokefan, TearsDrippingDown, kiki2222, artmusicinfinity, narutolover15, Goshikku Hime wa Yami-san, SniperPrince, and JustCallMeMoMo**so much for reviewing! This chapter is for you guys!

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_Five minutes my ass_.

Sasuke stared stonily as Kabuto exchanged clever banter with another researcher, his face gradually transforming into a poorly masked scowl while he shifted Kabuto's bag from one arm to another. This was the _fifth_ stop that they had made so far, with no clear destination in sight. Kabuto lazily drifted amongst his peers as though suddenly oblivious to Sasuke's existence, and the raven-haired man did _not_ appreciate the random detours.

His thoughts wandered back to the waiting fox, and he coldly wondered whether or not the blonde would do anything else stupid during the period of his extended absence. The events with Kabuto were still fresh in his mind, and the raven-haired man could see hurt cerulean eyes with perfect clarity, along with the terrified ones that had followed his retreating back into the building.

In all honesty, Sasuke was vaguely aware that his behavior towards the blonde after the incident had been excessive. However, Naruto had obeyed him up until now with unwavering devotion and Sasuke had needed to establish a firm example of what would happen should the blonde act without orders. The fox had put himself in danger through his thoughtless actions, and Sasuke would not tolerate having the blonde taken away from his side.

As he watched Kabuto moodily, the man's words from earlier drifted back into memory, reminding him of what had troubled Naruto so dramatically in the first place.

"_That the last of the original nine has finally come out of hiding…"_

The corners of his mouth turned down into a deep frown. Recently it felt as though the entire population was speaking some kind of secret code, and he hadn't been popular enough to receive the invite. First Kakashi, and now Kabuto…ever since the beginning Sasuke had known that the blonde was special, but he was getting wary of others knowing more than him about his own Anima.

When he got back, some of his questions were going to be answered.

Sasuke impatiently peered out of a nearby window. It was better if the fox was not left alone for too long. Sasuke could only imagine the consequences – he was already uncertain that the fox wouldn't unwittingly break into break into nearby homes should he be tempted by the scent of ramen, and he really wanted to have the fox back in his sights before such a disaster were to occur.

Naruto's blatant fear when he had left also weighed on his mind.

If there was one thing Sasuke was confident of, it was Naruto's strength. The fox had proven himself over and over again to be exceptional, so the raven-haired man hadn't had a second thought about leaving the blonde behind. If anything, it was another lesson for the blonde to face his fears and further develop his self-control.

The raven-haired man stopped his train of thought. It seemed as though all of his thoughts of late were consumed by the blonde, and it was mentally exhausting – not to mention fruitless. Nothing would be solved until they left the village, and Sasuke looked forward to doing so with much anticipation.

In front of him, Kabuto wrapped up his conversation with a handshake and a smile before returning to Sasuke.

"Next floor!" he said cheerfully while Sasuke fought the urge to sneer hatefully.

"Exactly how long do I need to accompany you to?" he asked dryly.

"Don't worry, Sasuke-kun." Kabuto replied carelessly, checking his watch. "Only a few more stops and we'll be done!"

The raven-haired man took a moment to calm the anger that was brewing in his stomach.

"It's getting late." He deadpanned.

"And it won't be much later." Kabuto smiled, his eyes curving.

"Hn." Sasuke shifted slightly.

Seeing that he was left no choice, he continued to trudge after their client as Kabuto stopped to talk to yet another acquaintance. He could feel wasted time slipping through his fingers like sand it was proving quite a challenge to his self-restraint.

His thoughts once again wandered to the blonde waiting outside.

_Don't get into any trouble while I'm away, shitty fox._

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"_My children, I will leave you soon."_

"_The burden I have given each of you is heavy. It shoulders the weight of my hopes and dreams for this failing world, along with my judgment"_

"_Each of you is a piece of me, and none shall expire until my will is complete."_

"_I am sorry for not being able to see this through with you. I called you to fulfill my own selfish, human desires, and I leave you with them still unfulfilled."_

"_You will be lonely, bitter, and afraid. Humans are as cruel as they are kind, and they fear those that they do not understand."_

"_But you will live on. You are a permanent embodiment of my will."_

"_Gomen."_

Naruto's eyes opened drowsily, and took him several moments to process his new surroundings. He was in a small white room that was completely bare except for the bed that he lay on and a single door across the room. The dullness of his body indicated that he had been drugged, and the blonde could still feel its effects as he attempted to rise to his feet.

His legs gave under and he collapsed to the floor with a thud.

It seemed as though the drug had not entirely left his system yet.

The blonde's ears flattened against his head as he assessed his situation. He had been snatched away while waiting for Sasuke to return by the guards of the city, unable to fight back against his human foes. Sound was one of Konoha's many allies, and therefore attacking civilians was a hefty crime. Naruto had known better than to injure any of his assailants, but he hadn't been able to resist struggling as the majority of them held him against the ground while one pushed a syringe into his arm.

Without their masters' protection, Anima were simple tools that escaped village laws.

His heart fluttered anxiously.

What was going to happen to him?

_Humans were scary._

Naruto sat on his bed with his arms around his knees as he hid his face. He felt utterly powerless, with no way to fight against the humans guarding his door. Even a mere scratch could be used against him, and more importantly, against Sasuke.

_He didn't want to cause Sasuke anymore trouble_.

The blonde's lower lip quivered. The two of them had already parted on bad terms – would Sasuke come for him? Was he alright? Had Kabuto tricked him too?

The suddenly realization that Sasuke could be at risk as well made the blonde shoot of his bed. He paced around the room restlessly, slowly regaining use of his limbs and not aware that crimson was bleeding into his eyes. His lips drew back in a snarl, and though he was being complacent his eyes spoke of anger.

_Gomen, master_. Naruto's hands curled into a fist.

_I can't love humans as much as you did._

_This is enough, right?_

He switched into his fox's form and curled up into a ball.

_Isn't this enough?_

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Sasuke exited the building with distaste painted across his face. Kabuto had kept him waiting for yet another four encounters before ultimately arriving at their destination – which Sasuke had not been allowed to enter.

"_Thank you, Sasuke-kun." Kabuto smiled, his face radiating with cheerfulness. "I sincerely hope that you have a safe journey back to Konoha."_

And with that, Kabuto had taken his bag and shut the door.

Onyx eyes swept his surroundings as he looked for the fox. When his search came up short, Sasuke refrained from sighing miserably. In a way, he had almost expected this outcome; the chances of the easily distracted blonde waiting patiently for him had realistically been slim to none.

Still, as he glanced around something seemed off about the entire situation.

Naruto's terror at being left alone had been genuine. Would the blonde really wander when such a fear plagued him?

Sasuke crossed over to where the blonde had last been stationed before Kabuto and he had entered the building. His eyes narrowed as he observed the ground, where dirt had been clearly disturbed with clear signs of struggle.

His eyes lifted ever so slightly and saw that a few drops of blood stained the wall in front of him, along with a few claw marks that were unmistakably familiar.

His heart skipped a beat.

Sometime while he was in the building, the fox had been attacked.

From the lack of blood at the scene, Sasuke could deduce that the blonde had not retaliated. What signs of struggle he could see had all been on the fox's part, and his gut twisted horribly upon seeing a few stray hairs that had been crushed into the ground.

_They __**took **__him._

The wave of raw fury that swept through him far surpassed anything that he had ever known. Sasuke's entire body shook with unrestrained rage as he slowly came to terms with what had obviously transpired during his absence, and red tinted his vision as his gaze turned back to the building where he had just dropped Kabuto off.

_The blonde glanced upwards shyly as Sasuke wiped his face. "…Thank you, 'Suke. You're always taking care of me"_

The bond he shared with his fox practically hummed as he charged back in, uncaring of the way people stared at him as he rampaged by. Subconsciously, Sasuke tugged on the invisible string that tied him and the blonde together, feeling a bit of relief at having the bond tug back in response.

_Shitty fox._

_Don't do anything stupid and I'll be there soon._

His lips curled back into a nasty snarl.

_Nobody takes what's mine._

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Naruto's head snapped up as he felt an explosion of rage from Sasuke despite the unknown distance between them. He had never experienced anger of this magnitude from his master before, and it wrapped around him almost protectively as the fox lifted his head.

He felt a tug on the bond between them, and his tails waved happily as the blonde tugged back.

_Sasuke was okay._

_Everything would be fine._

The fox glared at the door intensely, despising that he could do nothing but wait for his master to come get him. It was infuriating that he had to ability to easily escape on his own, yet could not because of the repercussions that would follow.

It was okay, though, because it was for Sasuke.

Naruto's whiskers quivered as he heard footsteps approaching from the distance.

_Sasuke's almost here. _He reminded himself as the door swung open, revealing two men that donned white cloaks and masks.

_Don't worry._

His lips raised in a feral snarl as he watched them approach, his chest vibrating with low growls. The two humans ignored paid him no mind as they talked amongst themselves, their gazes occasionally drifting over him like a lab rat stuck in a cage.

"…strange that the tranquilizer already wore off." One mused.

"…Higher dosage." The other one replied, their whispers soft and hurried.

Naruto pressed himself against the corner of the room, still hissing at the new intruders.

"_I hope that one day you will be able to find it in yourself to forgive humans, Naruto."_

"…running out of time." The first man said before pulling another needle from his pocket. The fox scrambled away, only to have his exit blocked by the arrival of more guards. The last thing crimson eyes saw were the gentle interest in the scientists eyes as he felt the needle pierce skin, and he couldn't prevent the quiet whimper that escaped him as he slipped from consciousness once again.

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Kabuto didn't look too startled as Sasuke barged into the lab. The raven-haired man froze, his eyes scanning the numerous cages in the room as they grew wide with shock.

"Anima!?" he managed to spit out.

"Indeed." Kabuto smiled, carelessly twirling a vial in his hands. "Konoha-approved, of course."

Whimpers emitted from various cages in the room, and for a moment Sasuke found himself unable to understand the implications of what he was seeing.

The sick discovery of Kabuto's experiments were then instantly overshadowed by the reality of the fox's fate, and Kabuto blinked as Sasuke suddenly reappeared by his side, the man's hand fastening itself around Kabuto's collar.

"_Where is he._" Sasuke growled. Meeting his eyes for the first time, Kabuto experienced a rush of fear as he stared into the swirling wheels of the _Sharingan_, and the silver-haired man swallowed hard before answering.

_So this was the infamous Sharingan._

_It was every bit as terrifying as the rumors said._

"You're going to have to be more specific, Sasuke-kun." Kabuto attempted cautiously before wincing as Sasuke threw him against a wall.

"You know _exactly _who the fuck I'm talking about." Sasuke's grip tightened, this time around his neck.

Kabuto trembled.

"_**Tell me what the fuck you did with Naruto**__."_

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AlexandriteSky: I just can't help but write cliff-hangers, I'm sorry! But, it makes it all the more fun to read, right? (nervous laughter). Anyways, isn't it nice that Sasuke's uses Naruto's actual name for once? Thank you so much for reading to this point, and please do leave a review!


	18. I Hear You

AlexandriteSky: The feedback for the last chapter for more than I've ever gotten! I can't even contain how happy I am! Many thanks to **TearsDrippingDown, Ocean Springs, Opnbf, Narutopokefan, JustCallMeMoMo, Sniper Prince, Guest, Quoted, mikako17, StormyNight98, Cam, Goshikku Hime was Yami-san, mikan27lover, narutolover15, and Fireotaku18 **for reviewing!

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"Now Sasuke, let's calm down –." Kabuto attempted before wincing as his head collided with the wall one more time with a painful thud.

"_Where is he._" Sasuke growled, the Sharingan blazing threateningly in his eyes. "Tell me before I rip the information directly from your mind. I hear it's unbearably painful."

He meant it, Kabuto realized. The Sharingan was a blood line ability that was renown throughout the Shinobi world – it was a powerful technique that only those of the Uchiha clan could utilize. For generations it stood as one of Konoha's most prized weapons, earning the Uchiha clan it's fame and reputation before it was ultimately wiped out.

Though Sasuke was the last known member of this fearsome clan, Kabuto had never expected him to be able to activate such advanced technique at such a young age. It was said that some Uchiha members were unable to activate the Sharingan until their dying moments, yet it came as naturally as breathing to others.

Sasuke Uchiha was truly a Shinobi to be feared, Kabuto decided.

Such men were better off being cut at the stem before they grew too dangerous.

Kabuto choked as Sasuke's grip tightened around his neck, and he knew that he didn't have time to carefully plan out his next movements like he would have preferred.

"I'll take you to him." He choked out, immensely relieved when Sasuke's fingers released his jugular. Kabuto rubbed the sore area, careful to keep his resentment hidden from his face.

He didn't need to give Sasuke any more reasons to direct that cursed Sharingan in his direction.

"The Council will be reported to about this incident." Sasuke growled, kicking Kabuto so that the two-faced man remained in front of him at all times.

Kabuto had enough courage left to release a dry chuckle.

_How adorably naïve_.

"Officially, that creature has been detained under charges of attempted assault against a civilian of Sound." He leered. "Everything that has transpired so far has been entirely legal. You won't find any luck running to your dear Council."

Sasuke's fists clenched. "He was unnecessarily provoked." He stated evenly.

_By you_, was the unsaid addition to that statement.

"I was simply partaking in innocent conversation." Growing bolder now that Sasuke's eyes had returned to their customary onyx hue, Kabuto's eyes arched upwards as Sasuke followed behind him out of the building. From the corner of his eyes he could see his colleagues smirking. "If you bring up a matter as trivial as this one, I'm afraid your efforts will be fruitless."

Sasuke's face showed clear signs of strain.

"You said you would entrust me with his punishment." His voice was soft yet deadly.

Kabuto's smile, now restored, did not falter.

"Did I?"

Sasuke's growl resonated within the room, and the silver-haired man shivered upon realizing that the Sharingan had been reactivated.

"Kabuto, do not make me kill you."

"Oh?" Kabuto's brow rose. They walked down the streets of Sound at an average pace, and to any onlookers it would seem as though they were having a perfectly friendly exchange. The hatred swirling in Sasuke's eyes would have instantly told them otherwise, had they been able to see his gaze. "I would advise against that." The silver-haired man continued sweetly. "The alliance between Sound and Konoha would not be positively affected by such a crime."

Sasuke smirked sadistically. "You are forgetting that I have ways to make sure you don't even remember your own name. _Do not test me any further, Kabuto._"

The silver-haired man could feel himself shrinking back and pursed his lips irritably.

_It matters not._

_There should have been more than enough time to get what they had originally wanted_.

"Gomen, Sasuke." He smiled weakly, switching from defiant to submissive in the blink of an eye. "We really meant no harm. That creature of yours happens to be an enigma even to the greatest minds, so it's only natural that we were curious."

Sasuke glared down at him with distrustful eyes that clearly showed he had no interest in hearing what Kabuto had to say.

"No need to be so hasty." Kabuto continued, his eyes flashing hotly. "Why go so far for such abomination? You only seem to tolerate him at best."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

"I need to be strong." He replied curtly. "And for that, he must stay at my side."

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"...Wake up."

"Yo."

"Hey!"

"…Dickless."

Naruto emerged from his slumber with an incredulous look. "Who the fuck uses that as an insult for somebody they don't know!?" he bellowed before blinking, realizing that nobody stood in front of him.

"Over here, sleeping beauty."

The blonde realized unpleasantly that each of his limbs had been strapped down to the surgery table he lay on, but he was still able to twist his neck enough to look around the room. His mind was still groggy for the tranquilizer, and his gaze took several moments to sharpen before it was able to identify the mysterious speaker.

Naruto started.

The voice belonged to a black striped lion that peered at him from a cage placed halfway across the room. Naruto had never seen such unique markings in his entire life, and they gave the other Anima an exotic feeling that was only further emphasized by yellow eyes and long, sharp canines.

"So is it true?" the tiger asked, cocking its head to the side with a grin.

"What?" the blonde replied, confused.

"You woke up when I called you dickless." The tiger pointed out smugly. "Therefore it must be true."

Naruto stared at him for a moment, his face flushing red before turning a darker shade of purple. "…What the _fuck_ are you talking about!?" he erupted at last, unable to contain his indignation.

His _manhood_ was being questioned!

The tiger gazed at him intently. "You're…a little slow, aren't ya?" he asked, chuckling when Naruto struggled against his bounds with rage. "Dickless means dickless."

If he hadn't been restrained to the table the fox would have jumped him. However, reality was slowly beginning to sink in once again, and Naruto averted his efforts to surveying his surroundings instead.

His heart hammered nervously in his chest as he looked around. He had been transported to another room that was fully stocked with surgical equipment, and the fox was overwhelmed by a feeling of foreboding as each tool and blade seemed to glitter independently under the dim light.

"It's good that you woke up." The tiger spoke again while grooming its paw lazily. "They've only done a preliminary check up on you so far. They're coming back soon with things they need to finish the job."

Naruto felt a chill settled within his body. "What job?"

The tiger shrugged. "Whatever they plan to do to you. Probably put something in you. It won't be pleasant."

Naruto fell silent, warding off fear-stricken thoughts with determination. He knew that Sasuke was coming for him – he only needed to bide time until he came.

"Is that what happened to you?" he asked cautiously.

The tiger looked up, his tongue still hanging from his mouth. "I'm not as important as you are." He chuckled at last, flopping down on his side. "I don't get the special treatment. I'm just a lab rat for them to manipulate and throw away."

The blonde was beginning to feel sick to his stomach.

_So it was true._

_Anima were being used by this village as research subjects._

His jaw clenched.

_How could they._

"How did you get here?" he asked, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles grew white.

"Born here." Was the flippant answer.

"You can't be serious." Naruto gaped, his head whirling. "Konoha has dictated that all Anima must be born in the Nursery -"

"-Except for the ones that they permit to be born here." The tiger grinned. "Since when do humans keep their word?"

Naruto's mouth shut. He wasn't sure which emotions churned within him at the moment, but he identified anger and sorrow amongst the mix.

_Master, the village you loved…it's become like this._

The world he had reentered was cruel.

"Why are you helping me?" he asked at last.

The tiger blinked at him. "Who's Sasuke?"

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "How do you know that name?" he questioned testily.

"You were calling his name in your sleep." The tiger went back to grooming. "I thought it would be a shame for you to get caught here when you have somewhere to else to go back to."

The blonde stared at the tiger with a rush of gratitude and instantly felt guilty for suspecting him before.

"I'm Naruto." He offered tentatively.

Yellow eyes peered at him with mild interest. "Sai." He answered brusquely. "Nice to meet you, dickless."

Despite his good intentions the tiger was still unbelievably irritating, Naruto concluded.

Both Anima swung their gazes towards the door as each of their heightened hearings picked up the sound of faint footsteps headed in their direction. Naruto shivered, his canines biting into his bottom lip and drawing blood.

_What should he do…?_

He didn't know where Sasuke was, and there was no guarantee that his master would make it on time. He couldn't hurt the humans, but he couldn't let them get what they wanted from him as well.

Really, the question was what _could_ he do.

"Not gonna fight it?" Sai asked, his tail swishing behind him.

"Can't hurt the humans." Naruto ground out through clenched teeth. "It'll get Sasuke in trouble."

Sai shook his head. "Sounds troublesome. But you do know that if you let them get their way, you might never be able to go back to this 'Sasuke' again?"

Naruto glanced at him worriedly. "What do you mean?"

"They'll put a collar on you." Sai answered, and for the first time the tiger's indifferent façade cracked as the Anima stretched its neck so that the blonde could see the metal band encircled around his neck. "Once you have one of these on, you get a nasty shock every time you try to leave this building." He explained. "Only they can take it off. And I promise you, they won't."

_Not see Sasuke again?_

Naruto's eyes bled crimson.

_He would never let that happen._

Sai observed him silently for a moment before giving a low whistle. "Yer actually pretty strong, huh? Maybe it's to compensate for what you're lacking in other areas?"

The tiger _really _needed to stop making jokes about his dick so that he could return to making a plan.

When the researches returned to the room, they found both Sai and Naruto slumbering in their respective locations. The men approached the sleeping fox warily, one of them retrieving a large syringe from a nearby tray while the other carefully unwrapped a small chip that he had carried into the room.

"Hurry." One whispered to the other. "They're coming now. We've only got one chance."

"Sorry. I'm not going to let you."

Both men jumped back as Naruto's eyes shot open, and with one feral growl a burst of flame surrounded him , circling around his bound form. The flame was far weaker than he would have liked but it did its job; neither men were able to approach as they frantically threw off their singed coats.

Sai whistled appreciatively from the side.

"Extinguish it." One man commanded the other, and both men began a flurry of hand signals that were impossible to follow. Naruto could feel the air compress around him, and he knew instantly that the men were forming a vacuum around him and depleting the oxygen needed for his flames.

His teeth clashed in a vicious snarl.

_Underestimating me._

His flames diminished slowly, and the researchers looked pleased with themselves as they attempted to step forward once again. Fearful cries were ripped from their throats as fire appeared just as quickly as it had disappeared, escaping the inflicted area around him and instead surging towards them in straight lines that ran across the floor.

"Get rid of all of the oxygen in the room!" one man cried. "Put him to sleep the moment the flames are gone!"

Again, they performed their incantation, and Naruto felt hope drain from him in a similar fashion to his dying flames.

_Sasuke? _He called, trembling as the last of the fire was extinguished.

"_I hope you'll be happy, Naruto."_

"_Even if someday I'm not by your side."_

His eyes closed as the syringe drew closer to his arm, and no matter how he struggled the blonde found that he could not escape the bounds that tied him.

_Sasuke!_

The needle punctured his skin, and Naruto used all of his strength to remain conscious even as the drug rushed through his system.

_Sasuke…_

"I'm here, shitty fox." A voice sounded crossly from the doorway. "Stop calling my name."

Naruto looked up and his eyes instantly slid shut as he passed out on top of the table with a content smile stretched across his face.

_Sasuke's here._

_Safe._

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AlexandriteSky: I was determined not to have a cliff hanger this chapter! Does this count? Again, I love you all, and please do continue to R&R! The next chapter will be the last chapter of this arc, so I hope you're all looking forward to it!


	19. Anger

AlexandriteSky: I'm sorry that it took longer than usual to update! My boyfriend broke his dominant arm (poor guy!), so I've been helping him out a lot and haven't had much time to sit down and write. The poor bastard is so useless right now!

AlexandriteSky: Also, many of the reviews for the last chapter made me laugh so hard! I really was mean for still having a cliff hanger. I love all of you, and many thanks to: **Quoted, TearsDrippingDown, Sutakane, AlexUchimaki, JustCallMeMoMo, Narutopokefan, xRememberxMe, mikan27lover, Goshikku Hime wa Yami-san, Opnbf, TKM, and mikako17 **for your wonderful reviews!

A few reviewer responses:

**Quoted**: Alas, Sasuke vocabulary is surprisingly limited, but maybe the day will come when he finds a new insult…

**TKM**: I made this chapter longer for you, I hope it is more satisfying!

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The first thing Sasuke noticed was Naruto's collapsed, bound form in the middle of the room. Onyx eyes narrowed dangerously as they focused on the empty syringe that still remained in one of the researcher's hands.

The Sharingan swirled murderously in his eyes.

"What did you do to him?" he asked, voice colder than a raging blizzard.

"N-nothing. Just a tranquilizer!" one man stammered while the other shifted nervously. Out of the corner of his eye Sasuke caught one slipping something into his coat pocket, confirming his suspicions that this was no routine check-up.

The thought of Naruto being locked up in one of the cages he had witnessed in Kabuto's lab made him sick.

The Uchiha clan did not accept damaged goods.

"And the thing you just put in your pocket?" he asked icily.

The man shuffled his feet anxiously. "N-nothing." He stuttered, taking a step back. He yelped as Sasuke disappeared before him and reappeared at his side, rendering his victim unable to react as the raven-haired man reached into the pocket in question and snatched up what the man had so desperately been trying to hide.

Sasuke was not well versed in the sciences, having made being a competent Shinobi the main goal of his life since gaining conscious thought, but even he knew that the chip he held in his hands could only have been intended for evil purposes.

His rage must have been reflected in his face because the man scurried backwards with terror.

"So, this is what you were planning to slip inside my fox?" Sasuke asked almost pleasantly, though not a soul could mistake his tone as friendly. At the doorway Kabuto inconspicuously turned to leave, but Sasuke stopped him in his tracks by calling out to him. "I think you should stay, Kabuto."

The silver-haired man froze, his face almost twitching from the effort of maintaining a smile.

"Gomen. I really have a lot to do…" he began, his fingers wringing at his sides.

"Stay."

There was no room for further protest in Sasuke's voice, and the threat of the Sharingan forced Kabuto into submission as he slowly slunk back into the room.

How he hated arrogant brats.

"I would love for somebody to explain this to me." Sasuke held up the small chip to the light. "Any volunteers?"

"You can't keep us here." One man squeaked, apparently feeling gutsy. He shrank back when Sasuke's sadistic gaze swept over him, subconsciously knowing that he had made a grave mistake.

"I've been thinking about what you said earlier, Kabuto." Sasuke stated evenly, and though his gaze remained trained upon the trembling employee it was clear that he addressed the scowling silver-haired man hovering near the back of the room. "About the conditions of the fox's imprisonment."

Kabuto sneered. "What of it?"

He was done playing nice with the overconfident rookie.

"He was acting under my orders." Sasuke deadpanned.

The silver-haired man drew back, startled. "Excuse me?"

"Naruto's actions were performed under strict orders from me, his master." Sasuke repeated, his eyes glowing. "Therefore, I am the only one at fault. Konoha dictates that all ANBU can only be judged by the village's own laws and can only be tried in a Konoha-held court. You no longer have any right to incarcerate either of us as I solely fall under Konoha's jurisdiction."

Kabuto's face paled. "Just what do you expect to gain from such a thing?" he leered. "You will still be punished."

Sasuke's brow rose. "I am the sole survivor of the Uchiha clan and the only Shinobi currently who can utilize a perfect Sharingan." He commented dryly as if talking about the weather. "Konoha knows better than to lose my favor."

The silver-haired man sputtered but could not find the appropriate words for his outrage.

This brat _dared_ to try to outsmart him!

"As a result, you are committing a heinous crime by experimenting on one of Konoha's authorized Anima." Sasuke continued, his eyes glittering perilously as he advanced on the other two scientists. "So I'll ask one more time – who wants to tell me exactly what you were trying to do to him before I'm _forced to get violent_?"

Though Kabuto did nothing but stare defiantly back at him, the other two men exchanged quick glances before caving in.

"I-It's to monitor his biochemistry." One squeaked. "It transmits to us information about his body's construction, ranging from the types of protein to the different chemical pathways."

Sasuke's hand curled around his head, and the man shivered under the pressure as Sasuke's fingers pressed threateningly against his temples.

"I don't like liars."

"It's true, I swear!" the man protested, his eyes flitting over to his colleagues for help despite having his head held firmly in place.

Sasuke's grip tightened and the man began seeing stars.

"I-It also manipulates his chakra and sends signals to his brain." He spat out hastily, deciding that Sasuke's crushing grip was a much more immediate problem than the daggers Kabuto was sending him from across the room. "It affects his neurowaves and synaptic impulses."

It didn't take a genius to sense that it was all fancy language for brain washing.

Sasuke stared down at him coldly, and for a moment the man truly believed that he had arrived at the end of his life. Much to his relief Sasuke released him not too long after, and the raven-haired man stared at all three men with raw malice in his eyes.

"I'm not allowed to kill you." He deadpanned. "But unless you want to further unsettle the relationship between Konoha and Sound, I would advise that you leave immediately. Except you, Kabuto." He added, stopping the man who had wasted no time in approaching the door.

The silver-haired man turned with a feeling of foreboding while his two colleagues turned tail and left. He was startled to see Sasuke suddenly appear in front of him and only separated by a few inches, an indecipherable expression spread across the raven-haired man's face.

"I'm going to hit you."

Sasuke delivered a swift blow to the man's abdomen. Kabuto's pupils dilated with the force of the impact and he resisted the urge to hurl as he kneeled from the overwhelming pain that consumed him.

The raven-haired man crouched down in front of him and grabbed a fistful of hair, forcing their gazes to meet.

"Don't EVER try to take what's mine again." He hissed. "Next time I won't be so lenient."

He pushed Kabuto away as if repulsed, and the silver-haired man scrambled for the door once the stars in his vision began to clear. He then rose to his feet and charged down the hallway, his face purple from rage as curses trailed after his fleeing form.

Once he was sure that he was alone, Sasuke allowed his gaze to return to the sleeping blonde for the first time since his entrance. He snorted as Naruto's mouth fell open, drool piling onto the surgical table while the blonde noisily smacked his lips.

"Mmm….Sasuke…."

The raven-haired man twitched noticeably.

"Mmmm….Ramen…." the blonde moaned.

A large vein pulsed on Sasuke's forehead.

"Why does it seem like I'm always waking you up?" he snapped crossly, slapping him smartly across the cheek. "Every damn time, I swear."

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The journey back to Konoha was tense and silent. Sasuke had not offered to speak since leaving Sound and Naruto had been too timid to try. He decided that it would be best for now just to follow his master quietly and hope that things would go back to normal once they got home.

His mood was somber as he thought back to their departure from Sound. Though the village itself had harbored nothing but ill-will, Naruto had been reluctant to leave Sai behind. The tiger had helped him buy the precious time he needed for Sasuke's arrival by waking him up, that left Naruto bitter that they had left him behind.

"_Don't waste your time, dickless." Sai yawned as Naruto pawed at the lock on his cage. "Breaking the cage doesn't do shit – it's the collar trapping me here."_

"_B-but I'm sure we can do something." Naruto protested, brilliant sapphire eyes sweeping to meet his master's. "Sasuke? Can't you get rid of it?"_

"_I neither can nor will." The raven-haired man turned. "Get ready to leave, fox."_

_Naruto's eyes widened pitifully. "Sasuke, please?" he pleaded. "Sai helped me out. I can't just leave him!"_

"_And what do you suggest I do?" the raven-haired man snapped. "Free him and put more strain than we already have on the relationship between Konoha and Sound? Don't forget that I'm already taking the fall for __**your**__ mistake."_

_The fox flinched._

"_Yoooo." Sai drawled. "Fox-face. No need to fight with lover-boy because of me. I knew that freedom wasn't a part of this deal. I'm just glad I got to fuck over some of their plans and have a little bit of entertainment in the process."_

"_B-But." The blonde attempted desperately._

"_I'm leaving." Sasuke said shortly, and true to his word the raven-haired man promptly strode out of the room. Naruto stared after his retreating back, his emotions so thick that he could hardly separate them from each other. _

"_Don't worry." Sai rolled his eyes. "A being of my wit won't be confined here for long. Why don't you hurry up and chase after your master?"_

_Naruto bit his lip. _

"_How can I live with myself after abandoning a friend?" he snapped, grabbing fistfuls of his hair in frustration. _

_The tiger looked up sharply. _

"_We're friends, dickless?"_

"_Of course!" the blonde responded smartly. _

"_If we're friends then you'll do as you're told." The tiger spoke coldly, turning around in his cage so that only his back faced the fox. "I don't want my first friend to get left behind because of me. If that's what friendship is, I don't want it."_

Sai didn't speak a word to him after that, and Sasuke had said nothing to him as well after noticing that the fox had returned to his side.

The blonde cringed. With all that had happened in the past few hours, he had almost completely forgotten about the argument they had had shortly before the incident. As they traveled through dense vegetation, the blonde chanced a few looks up at the raven-haired man and was disappointed to find that Sasuke refused to meet his gaze.

The day passed in silence.

When the raven-haired man finally decided to speak, night had already fallen and they had decided to set up camp in the same area that they had chosen previously on their way to Sound. Naruto was immensely pleased that Kabuto's presence was absent this time, and he was able to comfortably adjust the area to his liking. He had been in the middle of preparing his bed (through a delicate process of pawing dirt and intense circling) when Sasuke suddenly appeared before him, and the fox let out a squeak of surprise at his sudden proximity.

Sasuke's face was cold.

"I told you before that you were not to harm humans under any condition." Onyx eyes pierced through the blonde like a finely polished blade.

Naruto lowered his gaze and grit his teeth.

"I tried to be careful-" he began to protest before being silenced by a single raise of Sasuke's hand that indicated that he would not listen to any protests.

For a moment the blonde felt his heart drop.

_Why won't he listen?_

His ears dropped glumly.

"I saw the ash marks in the room." Sasuke stated, his face uncharacteristically turned away. "You defended yourself?"

"…" Naruto remained silent with the tiniest traces of a snarl gracing his lips.

"…It's fine."

Naruto's ears shot up in surprise.

"I am, and should always be, your first priority." Sasuke spoke, his voice somewhat thin. "I'll overlook your actions. If somebody is trying to take you away, it is acceptable to fight back. I will handle the repercussions."

The raven-haired man gave him a side-long glance.

"Do not trouble me this way ever again."

Naruto gathered the courage to peek up at his master and was startled by what he saw. Though Sasuke's face was still as severe as always, his cheeks were dusted with a faint shade of pink that betrayed his embarrassment.

The blonde grinned widely, unable to help himself as he latched onto Sasuke's sleeve.

"Okay Sasuke." He chirped, beaming up at Sasuke so brilliantly that the raven-haired felt uncomfortable under its gaze.

It felt as though he hadn't heard the blonde's voice in ages.

"Go to sleep. Tomorrow we go home." The raven-haired man commanded awkwardly, his movements tense as he crossed over to the other side of the encampment.

"Haiii." Naruto sang cheerfully, his tails wagging happily though his eyes were squeezed shut. Sasuke peered at him through one eye before heaving a sigh.

"Idiot."

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"_That idiot."_

Hallow eyes narrowed as they stared down at the empty surgical table. With one hellish growl, the table was demolished as sand engulfed it and crushed it to pieces.

"_Shukaku." _A regal panther spoke gently. _"Calm yourself."_

"_He would rather give those filthy humans our secrets than disobey his master's will. He has chosen humans over us, Matabi." _The raccoon sneered hatefully. With a wave of his arm, the walls around them collapsed, and screams erupted from outside the room as the building began to topple.

"_Enough, Shukaku." _The panther snarled. The cat's eyes glimmered, and the sand that had been wreaking havoc stilled.

"_Give him time." _She spoke again in a softer tone. _"Kyuubi entered the human world much later than we did. Soon he will stand with us once again."_

"_At this rate, he'll become the human's toy before he returns to us._" The raccoon spoke bitterly.

"_That will not be his fate._" Matabi snapped. Her eyes softened. _"You were closest to him back then. It is only natural to be concerned."_

"_The creature I see now is nothing but a brainwashed fool."_ The raccoon trudged in the direction that they had entered the room from. _"The Kyuubi that I once knew would have never let the humans control him like this. I thought that after his last his master died he would be cured like the rest of us, but the imbecile went and found another human to worship. His idiocy knows no bounds!"_

The panther gracefully slipped next to him.

"_He looked happy." _She observed. _"Kyuubi took his last master's death harshly."_

Shukaku snorted. _"Indeed. He went crawling back to that factory they call a 'Nursery'." _He drawled hatefully.

Matabi eyed him evenly. _"Careful, Shukaku." _She warned. _"Do not let your emotions cloud your judgment. Our goals are much larger than your personal conflict."_

"_Do not tell me what to do, Matabi." _The raccoon growled threateningly.

"_I would not dream of it, Shukaku._" The panther answered kindly, her tone so amiable that even Shukaku proved to be no match. He retreated with an irritated rumble of his chest.

"_If you guys are done squabbling, mind helping a fellow out?" _a new voice rang out. Both the raccoon and the panther turned to face the tiger that had up until that point been listening to them silently from his cage.

Shukaku's eyes narrowed. _"I had assumed you to be beyond help when you did not speak upon our arrival." _He spoke suspiciously.

"_When someone enters the room by melting the wall, you tend to have some initial reservations." _Sai replied cheekily.

Matabi observed him with a careful eye. _"And what have become of these reservations?"_

The tiger grinned._ "You guys ain't human. That's good enough for me."_

Shukaku snorted in a rare sign of approval._ "That's sound reasoning." _He smirked_. "I like you. What do you plan on doing after you get out from here? Wanna come with us?"_

Sai's tail swished lazily behind him.

"_Guess there's no harm." _He agreed carelessly. _"Not like I got anywhere else to go anyways."_

And with that, it was done. The cage and the collar around his neck disintegrated within milliseconds, and Sai could hardly believe his own eyes when he witnessed the ease at which the raccoon broke his bounds. Without giving him a moment to reconsider Shukaku swiftly turned around and exited from the hole he had made previously while motioning for Sai to follow.

_Doesn't seem like dickless has a lot of friends._ Sai thought as he padded softly behind the Anima. _These guys are all pissed at him._

He chortled softly to himself. _Shouldn't be surprising. Every person and their mother seem to hate him for some reason or the other. _

He shook his head.

Some people were just unlucky.

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Sasuke's eyes fluttered in contentment as he soaked in the steaming bath, long onyx lashes shadowing creamy pale skin as he allowed the water to soothe his aching muscles.

Activating the Sharingan for such an extended period the day before had taken its toll on his body, and Sasuke was relieved to be able to relax and simply enjoy himself for the first time in a while.

It was great to be able to get away from everything. Sasuke felt as though his nerves were gradually revitalizing, and it was such a pleasant feeling that Sasuke didn't mind that the fox had suddenly appeared in front of him.

His mind took a step back.

The fox…

….in front of him!?

He shot up, splashing the surrounding area as he furiously brushed his damp hair away from his face.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN HERE, DAMN FOX?" he roared, cheeks growing warm against his will as the blonde innocently gazed up at him with pretty cerulean eyes.

"Ramen." The blonde answered.

Sasuke blinked. "…Excuse me?"

"Ramen!" Naruto repeated stubbornly.

"Why!?" Sasuke cried, though whether he wanted to understand the blonde's intentions or understand why he was in such a situation in the first place was unclear.

"Three tails." The blonde's cheeks stretched in an ear-splitting grin as he turned around and waggled the new tail for Sasuke to see.

The raven-haired man wanted to bang his head against the wall, but he didn't want the blonde to get any more riled up.

"…Get out."

"Raaameeen." Naruto demanded crossly.

"Out!"

"Ramen ramen ramen."

"For the love of – "

"Ramen!" the blonde interrupted obstinately, bouncing up and down.

"FINE!" Sasuke exclaimed, ready to strangle the fox. "JUST GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE ALREADY!"

The blonde left with a shit-eating grin that spoke of victory while Sasuke miserably sunk into the water, mourning for the loss of his almost-good mood.

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AlexandriteSky: DOES NARUTO EVER GET HIS RAMEN? IS THIS ANOTHER CLIFFY? (But really, it's not). I hope that you enjoyed this chapter, definitely R&R and let me know what you thought! You guys are the best!


	20. Suspicions

AlexandriteSky: IT'S SPRING BREAK! I'M FREE! I CAN SLEEP UNTIL FIVE PM AND NOBODY WILL YELL AT ME!...I mean what? Of course I'm spending this time efficiently…

AlexandriteSky: Anyways, as always I owe all my gratitude to my loyal reviewers and readers. Many thanks to **mikako17, Quoted, Goshikku Hime wa Yami-san, Drawn2Danger, mikan27lover, TearsDrippingDown, isis-yolly, Uzu kitsune, TKM, and JustCallMeMoMo **for reviewing! Love you guys to bits!

A few reviewer responses:

JustCallMeMoMo: Psh, your reviews make my day! Thank you so much for reading up until now!

Goshikku Hime wa Yami-san: Ughhh I wanted to kill him off SO badly! Perhaps later I'll do the dirty deed…xD

TearsDrippingDown: Thank you so much! I'm so glad you think so!

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Naruto's eye cracked open as Sasuke silently slipped out of bed and left the room, his footsteps muted with years of training and experience. His exit was so quiet that it normally would not have woken a soul, but Naruto could feel his absence in the bond that they shared.

He had been doing this for a while now. Every night Sasuke rose at the earliest hours of the morning and left, each time making sure that Naruto was sound asleep before leaving. Of course, faking slumber was simple after having to ignore so many people at the Nursery, and though Sasuke drew back each time satisfied the blonde consciously observed his master's suspicious actions with keen crimson eyes.

His nose scrunched with annoyance.

Sasuke was not just leaving the room, he was leaving the compound as well; Naruto lay awake every night as the man's scent gradually grew more and more distance, to the point where the blonde could no longer reach him in a moment's notice.

The fox's curled form tightened as he covered his face with his tails in irritation.

It wasn't as if Sasuke had an obligation to tell him anything about his personal life. Naruto recognized this clearly, just as he recognized that Sasuke was his master, _not_ his friend. Such realizations were painful, but the blonde had grown accustomed to them long before Sasuke had become his new world.

"_Gomen, Naruto." His master smiled kindly, yet his kindness cut deeper than any blade. "Would you go out for a moment? There is something these men and I must discuss."_

_The fox yipped, yet was still hesitant to leave his master with such strange men. In a rare show of impatience, however, his master's eyes flashed as he personally opened the door._

"_Leave, Naruto." His master's voice was stern. "I will call you back later."_

_The men behind him smiled, though whether it was in sympathy or amusement Naruto would unable to distinguish before the door shut in his face._

Nothing good came out of prying into his master's affairs. That was what Naruto wholeheartedly believed, regardless of the horrible feeling of anticipation gnawing at his stomach. It was clear that Sasuke did not want him involved in his personal matters, and the fox knew he had no right to invade his master's privacy.

Still, the new scent that blanketed his master every night he returned infuriated the blonde more than he cared to admit. It was a woman's scent, and it was often so entwined with Sasuke's own that body contact between the two was unmistakable. This new scent, the scent of his master's mixed with some unknown woman's, was offensive to the fox, and Sasuke often found Naruto gone from the room when he reawakened. The blonde would wait until the raven-haired man was done taking his morning shower to interact with him, not willing to allow his resentment show on his face.

He hadn't really thought about it before, but up until then Sasuke's scent had only consisted of a mix of his own and Naruto's. The raven-haired man rarely socialized with others, and when he did he brought the fox by his side; Naruto could hardly remember the last time another person's scent was able to infiltrate their own.

The fox scowled.

He didn't like it.

The blonde wondered if he had done something wrong. Sasuke's behavior didn't start until after the reemergence of his third tail, which Naruto was now beginning to resent. He didn't know what he could have done to possibly incur Sasuke's wrath, other than be his normal self.

This particular morning, Naruto quietly munched on his breakfast as Sasuke sat across from him reading the daily newspaper. The blonde no longer trusted himself to carry a conversation without blurting out accusations, so he chose to look preoccupied by flipping through one of Sasuke's numerous books.

'_Let's see…Blood, fighting, returning honor to the family name…yup, sounds like Sasuke's kind of book.'_

"I didn't know you had the mental capacity to read." Sasuke commented dryly, onyx eyes observing the rare sight of the blonde holding a book (without carelessly ripping it into shreds).

'_Oh? The main character has an evil older brother who also happens to be a little bit less attractive? This book seriously must be Sasuke's bible.'_

"I have the mental capacity to do a lot of things." The blonde replied without lifting his eyes away from the book. "I just choose not to."

"Funny. You had me fooled."

In a rare show of self-restraint, the blonde managed to avoid rising to the raven-haired man's insults. He was already practically bursting at the seams with questions, though he kept them carefully reigned out of fear of stepping out of place.

"_Naruto."_

"_There are some things I cannot tell you."_

"_It's not that I don't trust you. But some things can only be shared with your own species, right? I'm sure you understand this as well."_

The blonde turned the page of the book despite not having read the last one, his thoughts distant.

"Don't hurt your brain too much." Sasuke drawled, apparently overflowing with verbal abuse at the sight of Naruto reading.

"I'll make sure to protect it carefully." The blonde replied dryly, though his ears were tense as they stood straight up on the top of his head.

Unbeknownst to him, Sasuke watched him carefully as he returned his attention to the book at hand. The raven-haired man was no idiot; it was clear that the blonde was avoiding him, which somehow irritated him to no end. He hadn't even known the fox to be capable of such curt replies, but he was intrigued to see them executed so proficiently.

The blonde's behavior reminded him of when the fox had first arrived over three months ago, a thought that bothered Sasuke immensely despite not knowing the cause for his unrest.

"The compatibility exam begins next week." He spoke, setting down his newspaper and folding it neatly. "All first-year ANBU are required to participate."

Naruto blinked owlishly. "Compatibility exam?"

Sasuke sighed in exasperation. "Yes."

He turned to leave but was held back by a firm tug on the back of his shirt, and he turned around to see a vein throbbing on Naruto's forehead.

"Aren't you going to tell me any details?" the fox asked hotly. "Like _what_ it is?"

This time it was Sasuke's turn to blink as he gazed at his Anima curiously. "And just _who_ was it that told me '_Sasuke just needs to tell me what to do, and I will do it'_?" he asked with dry amusement. "Make up your mind, idiot."

Naruto flushed. "Shut up." He replied irritably. "I'm going through a rebellious phase now."

The raven-haired man's brow rose with that comment. "Rebellious phase?" he echoed, eyes narrowing.

"Yup." The blonde answered cheekily, crossing his arms.

"…and _why_ are you going through such a phase?"

The blonde glanced upwards at him with piercing sapphire eyes that were accented by smooth bronze skin and the casual swoop of his bangs. "You've been going somewhere at night. Without me." He accused pointedly.

Sasuke gave him a cold glare.

So he had noticed?

"What I do with or without your knowledge is none of your concern." The raven-haired man snapped angrily, feeling like a kid who had been caught sneaking out (though it wasn't that far from the truth, really). "Mind your own business."

For a moment sapphire eyes widened before quickly dulling, and the blonde gingerly placed down the book in his hands with his face hidden by his bangs.

"Hai, master." The blonde dipped his head once before leaving the room, stubbornly biting onto his bottom lip.

Sasuke watched the blonde leave, the corners of his lips turned downwards in dissatisfaction. Truthfully, he had only meant to reprimand the blonde, but it was clear the fox had taken it harsher than intended.

The raven-haired man warily raked a hand through his hair.

It was a good thing, wasn't it? The blonde's nonchalant attitude had been getting out of hand recently. It was unbecoming for an Anima to be so defiant in front of its master. Still, it wasn't as if the blonde's loud nature interfered with his efficiency in battle, and Sasuke had yet to have any complaints about the blonde's overwhelming skill.

Sasuke decided grumpily that he had done nothing out of character, and that it was the blonde who had overreacted. Because of this, he refused to go after the idiotic fox, who was no doubt licking his wounds in some secluded corner.

His lips raised in a small snarl as he felt the fox's presence drift away from the compound.

'_And where does he think __**he's**__ going?'_

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This was the first time he had ever willingly wandered alone, Naruto realized as he easily slipped through crowded streets and narrow alleyways. Konoha was the one village that he had the courage to navigate by himself, mostly because of the civilian's familiarity with Anima which caused them to be unimpressed by the sight of one walking around. As the only village authorized to use Anima, many of its inhabitants had relatives or friends that were partnered with Anima and thus discrimination was much less rampant in such an area.

Despite this, Naruto still would have normally avoided such a journey had he not felt particularly gloomy after his encounter with Sasuke that morning. Before he had registered it, his feet had carried him away from the Uchiha compound and were now leading him through the bustle of mid-day business.

A tantalizing scent caught his attention, and Naruto's mouth watered as he realized that he had instinctively traveled to the ramen stand that Sasuke had brought him to before. He openly salivated in front of the booth before realizing he had no money, a realization that hit him with the force of speeding truck.

"Mou…" he sighed sadly, his tails drooping behind him.

"…Naru-chan? What are you doing alone?" a familiar voice sounded from behind him. Naruto turned to see Kakashi leaning over him quizzically, the older man's expression curious before melting into one of pure adoration.

'_Oh who cares' _he thought to himself before throwing himself on the cute wide-eyed blonde. "Naru-chan! You're as adorable ever!" he squealed, rubbing his cheeks against the blonde's hair and chuckling when the fox almost immediately started purring.

_As attention deprived as ever_. The man thought with a shake of his head before continuing to pet the blonde with his hand.

"Hi Kakashi." The blonde greeted timidly, though with a smile.

"It's rare that I get you all to myself." The scarecrow commented suspiciously while looking around. "Is this a dream?"

All it took was the glum expression on Naruto's face to explain the current situation to silver-haired man, who nodded his head sympathetically and patted the fox's head.

"There, there." He soothed. "Sasuke's being an ass again, isn't he? Gomen, Naru-chan; I'm afraid it just in his nature."

"Yeah." The blonde agreed miserably. "I've noticed."

"Ahem."

Kakashi sweat dropped as his neglected companion coughed loudly, and he quickly straightened.

"A-Anko!" he exclaimed sheepishly. "Sorry, Naru-chan's just too cute for me to resist. Naruto, this is Anko – she's one of the squad leaders of ANBU."

Naruto noticed for the first time that there had been a short-haired woman standing by Kakashi's side, and his eyes shot open as he recognized her scent.

_This woman…!_

His eyes narrowed.

This was the woman who's scent clung to Sasuke's body every night he came home. She was an attractive young woman with cropped, purple hair, and highly defined facial features that screamed that she was no push over. Her very presence was intimidating and screamed of power, yet her smile was kind as she held out a hand to Naruto to shake.

As infuriating as it was, the blonde could see the appeal.

"Nice to meet you, Naruto-kun." She greeted warmly. "I've heard so much about you."

The blonde accepted the gesture gingerly, though he couldn't help but eye it with suspicion first.

He didn't like it.

He didn't like that Sasuke had told her about him.

He didn't like that Sasuke met up with her and told her things that Naruto didn't know about.

Most of all, he didn't like that Sasuke had _touched _her.

"Gomen, we're kind of in a rush, Naruto-kun." The woman straightened and brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "We should properly become acquainted another time, okay?"

With nothing to say in response, Naruto merely nodded, and Anko gave a content smile before dragging a protesting Kakashi away (_"You don't understand, Anko! I never get Naru-chan to myself like this!"_). She paused a few feet away, seemingly struck by a sudden thought.

"Oh, and please tell Sasuke I won't be able to meet him tonight, and to not to push himself too much while I'm gone." She added, turning to Naruto with gentle eyes. "Extra training sessions are okay, but he should also realize his body's limitations. Will you pass that on for me, Naruto-kun?"

The blonde's jaw slacked as she turned to leave, Kakashi waving sadly at him as Anko tugged him by the collar of his uniform.

He suddenly felt very, very stupid.

And ridiculously enough, very very _happy_.

_Extra training, huh_ he thought, his feet already starting him on his way back home.

A wide grin spread across his face.

_That's so like you, Sasuke._

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The blonde shivered as he arrived back at the manor only to find Sasuke leaning against the front door, his arms crossed.

Anxiety rushed through the fox as his steps slowed, allowing him to come to a complete stop a few feet away from his master's disapproving glare.

"S-Sasuke…" the blonde began uncertainly, only to be interrupted as Sasuke lazily lobbed something in his direction. The item made solid impact with the fox's head, causing a bit of pain as it dropped and landed in Naruto's hands.

"What the fu-!" Naruto protested before identifying what Sasuke had just thrown at him. It was a small brown bag full of coins, and the blonde was startled by their unfamiliar weight in his hands.

"If you're going to go out, bring money with you." The raven-haired man snapped, voice laced with annoyance. "Keep that for next time, dumbass."

With that the raven-haired man went back inside, leaving the blonde to stand outside with a deep blush on his face.

Naruto spent the next few moments willing himself to not be so happy.

"_I'll hold onto the money, okay Naruto?" his master laughed, stroking behind his ears in the way that he knew the blonde loved. _

"_What if I need my own?" Naruto asked innocently._

"_As long as you're always with me, you'll never need it." His master replied gently, tweaking his nose. "Isn't that right?"_

The blonde tossed the heavy bag of coins up and down in his hand, testing its weight. Satisfied, he broke into a wide grin and ran into the house after his master.

"Sasuke! Guess what!? I saw Kakashi today, and I met Anko-sensei! She told me to tell you…but then ramen costs money…and there was this dog AND IT TRIED TO PEE ON ME…."

The raven-haired man smirked to himself as the blonde continued to ramble, his voice infecting the rooms of the large manor with its cheerfulness and idiocy.

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AlexandriteSky: And here we see jealous Naru...A slightly shorter chapter, but it leads up to what I have planned coming up next! Thank you _so_ much for reading up to this point, and be sure to leave me a review!


	21. House Arrest

AlexandriteSky: Since it's spring break I've had more time to write! Hopefully I can get the next few chapters jotted down before school starts again.

AlexandriteSky: Many, many thanks to **TearsDrippingDown, Goshikku Hime wa Yami-san, alphonse18, xRememberxMe, Cam, TKM, mikan27lover, mikako17, and JustCallMeMoMo **for your wonderful reviews! Nothing's more motivating to me than seeing your feedback!

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"We now bring Sasuke Uchiha before the Council to be tried for his crimes in Sound."

Sasuke walked forward calmly, his face impassive as he stood a second time before the Council. From his position in the center, Sarutobi gazed down at him with curious eyes that bore no traces of animosity, though his lips were stretched in a grim line.

"Sasuke Uchiha." His voice echoed grandly in the room despite not having spoken at a very loud volume. "It troubles me to see you here before us receiving shame instead of glory."

The raven-haired man's head lowered. "Apologies." He muttered, though it sounded more like a curse than an attempt at self-reflection.

"In the past three months you have proven yourself to be exceptionally deserving of your ANBU rank." The woman sitting beside Sarutobi spoke. "I do not think it is in your nature to suddenly turn on your client. Perhaps there were occurrences that we are not yet aware of?"

For a moment, Sasuke hesitated. His next few words would determine the degree of punishment that he would receive, and it would be to his advantage to place as much blame on Kabuto as he possibly could. However, upon discovering the nature of Kabuto's research, the raven-haired man also knew that it was vital to tread carefully – he still did not know the extent of which Sound and Konoha were connected.

Kabuto had claimed that his research on Anima had been approved by Konoha, and Sasuke saw no reason for him to speak falsely.

"The client was discourteous to my Anima and me for the duration of our journey." He spoke, deciding to leave out as many details as possible. "I allowed my temper to cloud my judgment. It will not happen a second time."

"The client claims to have been perfectly civil and undeserving of such treatment." Danzo spoke, his eyes boring into his own.

"If that were the case, such an incident would not have occurred." Sasuke replied flatly.

"Because of our partnerships with Anima, Konoha has an image that it must uphold." Sarutobi stated warily. "We cannot give the other villages any reason to fear the power that we have promised to protect. Being a member of ANBU comes with great responsibility, as your actions reflect directly upon Konoha's reputation. You were instructed on this while at the academy."

"Hai." Sasuke's fists clenched at his side. "I am ashamed to have betrayed its principles."

Sarutobi observed him for a moment before heaving a deep sigh. "I do not think that your mistake was so severe that it cannot be overlooked, especially because nobody was harmed in the end. However, Sound will require some amount of compensation in order to soothe its wounds."

Sasuke's eyes flashed.

"Compensation?" he repeated, and though he kept his tone in check fire raged within glittering onyx orbs.

_If Kabuto was trying to steal Naruto away again, Sasuke would go and break his nauseatingly phony face. _

"They demand retribution as an attempt to restore good faith, though they have left it up to us to decide what form it takes." Sarutobi answered, and Sasuke thought he saw a flicker of amusement flash in the old man's eyes. He understood the gist of what was being expected of him, though he asked for clarification all the same.

"And your decision?" he asked, jaw clenched.

Sarutobi's eyes arched upwards with good humor.

"Sasuke Uchiha. As punishment for your behavior in Sound, you are hereby sentenced to a week of house arrest starting from this moment forward. This will extend until the compatibility exams that will take place next week. No missions of any kind will be assigned to you, and guards will be assigned to monitor your activities to ensure that you are following procedure."

The raven-haired man bristled but did not complain. Only his privacy would be offended by this type of punishment and it was clear Sarutobi knew this too; the man smiled easily down at him, the wisdom in his eyes clearly stating that he was well aware of Sasuke's decision to ignore important details in his defense.

"I understand." He ground out.

"Very well, dismissed."

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Naruto waited for Sasuke anxiously outside of the council room, and upon seeing his master emerge the fox immediately rushed to the raven-haired man's side, cerulean eyes wide with concern as he nervously shifted from one foot to another.

"…So how was it?" he finally worked up enough courage to ask, hand habitually reaching for his master's sleeve.

"House arrest." Sasuke replied curtly. "For one week."

"Well it's not like it's that different from usual! When was the last time you _willingly _left home other than for missions, training, or food?" Naruto attempted cheerfully but quickly balked at Sasuke's deadly glare. "Right." He finished lamely, turning his head to the side. "Too soon. Not funny."

"Hn." Sasuke grunted, his gaze switching from angry to calculating. "Just because I covered up your own shit for you doesn't mean that I don't expect you to take responsibility for your actions." He stated, his expression lifting the more he stared down at the blonde at his side.

The blonde sweat dropped.

How Sasuke was able to switch from furious to devious in a matter of seconds was beyond him.

"A-and how is that?" he asked, squirming uncomfortably.

"For the week that I am required to stay at home, I will leave it to you to tend to my each and every need." The raven-haired asserted with a smirk. "Because I cannot leave the manor, you will be in charge of all shopping and errand running. You will be at my beck and call, and I will not tolerate any show of disobedience."

Naruto's jaw dropped down openly. "You're planning on taking a freaken vacation while you make me slave away!" he accused pointedly.

"So?"

Sasuke's eyes pierced through him as if _daring_ him to protest further, and Naruto suddenly regretted opening his mouth.

"And what's wrong with me taking a break while I endure _your_ punishment?" the raven-haired man continued with one brow raised. "Pray, do tell…shitty fox."

Naruto's mouth shut with a quiet meep, and he groaned with submission.

"Nothing." He replied, wondering what horrors awaited him. "Nothing at all."

"That's what I thought." Sasuke's gaze finally left him and Naruto allowed himself to take a deep breath.

He had technically already been serving Sasuke for the past three months now. Though the raven-haired man wasn't a slave-driver, he still had the blonde doing a multitude of chores; this really wasn't that different from the usual, right?

It wasn't as if the scheming expression on Sasuke's face was scaring him or anything.

No, not at all.

…maybe a little.

But it couldn't be _that_ bad…

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He was going to kill him.

Screw the repercussions, Naruto Uzumaki was going to commit the unspeakable crime of murdering his own master.

"_Fox_." The raven-haired man summoned him to the bathroom, where he stood with all of his clothes shed save for a towel that hung loosely around his waist. Naruto blushed at the sight, willing himself not to feel uncomfortable though the raven-haired man presented a picture that would have made most fangirls faint.

In his current predicament, however, it was honestly not too difficult to dismiss his master's attractiveness.

Why was that?

"The water that you prepared is lukewarm." Sasuke deadpanned. "Are you an idiot?"

_Oh yeah, because he was going to __**kill**__ him!_

"…There's steam rising out of it." The blonde pointed out. "I'm pretty sure it's okay."

Sasuke's eyes flashed threateningly. "Are you disobeying me?" he growled, advancing closer to the blonde. "You couldn't possibly be _refusing_ my order, could you?"

The blonde grit his teeth, wondering for a moment how difficult it would be to hold Sasuke down and strangle him with a towel.

"Never." He smiled, his face twitching from the effort of twisting his muscles in a way they did _not_ want to be twisted at that moment.

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"FOX!"

Naruto paused at the end of the hallway, making sure to take a few deep breaths before turning around. He hadn't even managed to make it into a different room before Sasuke summoned him again, which was quite a difficult feat considering the manor had about more than fifty of them.

He stalked back into the room and slammed the door open. "Yes, Sasuke?"

"The water's too hot." The raven-haired man snarled. "What the fuck are you trying to do, _burn_ me? Is that how you repay me after taking the blame for you and being forced into this foolishness?"

Naruto closed his eyes and silently counted backwards in his head.

_100…don't kill Sasuke…99…don't kill Sasuke…_

"And you took too long getting here." The raven-haired man continued. "Are those legs of yours only for decoration?"

_98…really shouldn't kill Sasuke…97…should stop considering the possibility of killing Sasuke…._

"Well?" Sasuke snapped irritably. "You're not a piece of furniture, even though you have the brains of an inanimate object. Fix the problem."

_96…should move all dangerous items away from the vicinity in case self-control fails…_

It took twenty more minutes for Sasuke to finally deem the temperature of the bath acceptable, and by that time Naruto was thoroughly drenched and exhausted. He made to leave the room but was stopped by Sasuke, who staring at him with expectant onyx orbs.

"Wash my back."

…_What._

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The look of overwhelming irritation on Naruto's face kept Sasuke's mood light as he bossed the blonde around, taking a gross amount of enjoyment in watching the fox suffer. With everything Naruto had put him through, Sasuke thought it only fair to give the blonde a touch of his own medicine, and it was far too entertaining to watch the fox miserably flail in order to fulfill his commands.

_Idiot_.

Sasuke had intended to end it there for the night, but the sight of the blonde with his ears and tails damp and disheveled inexplicably changed his mind. The fox's cheeks were puffed in irritation and were accompanied by cerulean eyes that sparkled with indignation, but Sasuke was surprised to see the fox remain silent despite the multitude of insults obviously gathering at the tip of his tongue.

_Huh._

He had more self-control than Sasuke had originally given him credit for.

As the blonde turned to leave, the raven-haired man found that he was not yet done torturing his pet for the night, and the gears in his head churned as he looked for his next order.

"Wash my back."

He drank in the blonde's scowl, fighting to keep the amusement from his face as he stonily turned around and tossed Naruto a scrubber. The fox looked highly conflicted before giving in, and Sasuke was surprised to feel that his touch was gentle as Naruto obeyed his request.

His eyes closed under the blonde's tender ministrations, enjoying the feeling of Naruto's hands as they determinedly scrubbed his flesh without tearing skin.

It seemed as though there were a few things the blonde could do correctly after all.

"Where's the soap?" Naruto asked, before quietly adding "…asshole."

Sasuke smirked at the malice in his voice.

"Over there." He pointed, cocking a brow when the blonde continued to look at him. "You don't expect me to get it, do you?"

Naruto grumbled underneath his breath before retrieving the item and returning to the task at hand.

"You're surprisingly good at this." Sasuke hummed as Naruto rinsed the remaining soap from his back.

"My last master asked me to do this a lot." The blonde replied distractedly, making sure that all of the suds had been washed off. "He said it felt good when I did it."

Sasuke froze. Suddenly, the situation didn't seem half as amusing as it had before, and he no longer felt any contentment from the warmth that pressed against his back.

"That's enough." He spoke coldly, rising to his feet and causing Naruto to fall back with a small squeak of surprise.

"Eh?" the blonde asked, tilting his head to the side. "Did I do something wrong, Sasuke?"

"No. Just get out." He snapped without turning around.

He could practically feel Naruto's heated gaze on his back before the blonde wordlessly turned around the exited, leaving Sasuke to stare bitterly down at the bath that Naruto had prepared for him.

The image of Naruto dripping from head to toe while staring up at him innocently resurfaced in his head, but now Sasuke dismissed it with a sneer.

_So he wasn't the only one to have seen the blonde that way._

Sasuke didn't know why he was so angry. After all, what was there to gain from resenting someone who had already passed away?

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AlexandriteSky: I finished this chapter at 4:48 AM in the morning, so please excuse any typos that I'm far too tired to notice! For some reason it's far too easy to write about Sasuke being mean to Naru…so, so easy xD Thank you so much for reading, and please leave a review!


	22. People He Can't Stand

AlexandriteSky: I'M BACK! I'm SO sorry about my absence guys, but thank you for sticking with me! For any of those who care to know, my mother was in the hospital for a month (she's fine now, what a relief!) and I had a lot of other personal issues to take care (a break up with my boyfriend of three and a half years included), but now that it's summer I've risen from the dead! I won't waste any more time making excuses for the delayed release – instead, read and enjoy!

Many thanks to: **Cam, lilytothelake, ovicati, kage kistune no yami, DayDreamBlue, Seba-chan, FireCrackingShrimpEater, HiddenFaces, mikan27lover, JustCallMeMoMo, mikako17, Narutopokefan, TearsDrippingDown, Goshikku Hime wa Yami-san, MunkieMagic, dark blue princess, Amber Ice Fox, and Opnbf** for your wonderful reviews! You are the sole reason this story does not remain locked up on my computer!

Btw, here's a shout out to Cam for checking up on this story and me! It was greatly appreciated, and it helped get my ass in gear ;)

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_Sasuke watched as his younger form bounded through the forest, the child's face ecstatic as he hurried back to the Uchiha compound with his hitai-ate streaming proudly behind him. The headband marked him as a graduate of the genin exam and granted him permission to continue his Shinobi training as a chuunin._

_He knew this was a dream. _

_The wide smile on the child's face served as a bitter reminder of his past naivety, and though Sasuke observed the scene from far overhead he wished he could descend and wipe away the blasted expression that his younger self flaunted so easily. _

_Ignorant to the foreboding whispers of trees that remained much too still, Sasuke dashed forward while his older self watched hatefully. _

_**Pathetic**__._

_He knew what came next. _

_**Blood.**_

_The memories flashed before his eyes and Sasuke did not look away – he stared with gross intensity at the bodies that littered the floor and the blood that coated them, his gaze unwavering even when Itachi once again lifted his blade upon their father's head._

_**Move.**____He willed his younger self as the child fell backwards, tears streaming down his face._

_Sasuke's fists clenched._

_There was still time, if he would just stop crying and __**get up**__-_

"_Too weak."_

_Itachi's blade lowered, and Sasuke gave a roar of fury as the child below emptied the contents of his stomach to the side, the hitai-ate falling forgotten from his grip._

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Sasuke woke with a gasp, his lips parted breathlessly while blood trickled down from his palms where his nails had broken skin.

Dreams of that cursed night were not rare, yet it was uncommon for Sasuke to have witnessed it with as much clarity as he just had. He could still see his brother's heartless gaze boring into his own and the thick stream of their father's life, and for a moment Sasuke thought himself surrounded by a pool of the very same blood.

"…'Suke?"

With a growl the raven-haired man swung around to face the intruder, teeth baring in a feral snarl only to find Naruto staring up at him sleepily from the side of his bed.

"Naruto." He snapped, the name he usually avoided calling slipping easily from his lips. "Fox." He corrected himself with a frown, trying to ignore the image of the blonde before him drenched in the very red that haunted his dreams.

"Are you okay?" the blonde asked after a moment, cocking his head to the side with concern swimming amongst the drowsiness that reflected in cerulean orbs.

"I'm fine." Sasuke ground out, feeling sick. Everything in the room was glowing with a rusty hue – even Naruto.

There was blood everywhere, and now it even coated his fox.

He wondered if, even just a little bit, he was going insane.

"Get out." He ordered, turning his head away so that he was no longer looking at the blonde's worried expression. "I need to be alone."

"But…" the blonde shifted uncomfortably from one foot to another.

"What?" he hissed, his heightened nerves sparking with the blonde's disobedience.

"…I wanna stay here." The blonde admitted softly. "I had a nightmare."

Curiosity piqued Sasuke's attention though it did not do much to quell the anxiety ripping at his gut. Even though he wanted nothing more than to kick the blonde out, he could not deny the terror radiating in the fox's eyes that most likely mirrored his own. Only then did he notice that a thin sheet of sweat coated Naruto's forehead, and Sasuke stared at him for a moment before heaving a sigh.

Maybe it was the nature of the bond between them.

Maybe it was something simpler.

The only thing Sasuke was sure of was that the terror of his nightmare had somehow transferred to the fox, and it would be cowardly not to take responsibility. Naruto shivered miserably like a wet dog, and Sasuke clenched his jaw before lying back down gingerly.

"You can sleep at my feet." He muttered with his back turned. Naruto gave a yip of happiness before reverting into his alternate form, his nose twitching as he curled up snugly at the end of the bed.

It was the first time he had ever been allowed on the bed.

Sasuke's eyes closed as Naruto's warmth traveled through the blanket and just barely brushed him. It brought a constant reminder of companionship, a feeling that was both foreign yet familiar to him now, despite the contradiction.

It only took a few breaths before Sasuke fell back asleep.

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"Cease the annoying thumping of your tail. We're not going on a fieldtrip, you know."

The fox by his side gave him an annoyed glance before wagging his tail even faster than before. He yipped and ran around him twice, causing a vein to throb in the raven-haired man's forehead.

"Fox…" Sasuke growled warningly.

Naruto gave a low whine before adapting his human form. "You're no fun." He grumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"I'm not trying to be."

"Mou…" Naruto pouted, and Sasuke just barely managed to make out a quietly whispered "…Jackass."

"…OH. MY. GOD. HOW CUTEEEEEEEEE."

A shrill voice suddenly sounded beside them, scaring Naruto as he scampered behind the raven-haired man and cautiously peeked out from behind him.

Sasuke's jaw clenched as he turned to face the speaker, face perfectly wiped blank.

"Sakura." He greeted monotonously, though inwardly he grimaced.

The woman in question was actually quite beautiful, with luscious pink curls and brilliant emerald eyes that shone with vigor. She approached Sasuke fearlessly despite the raven-haired man's obvious wariness, and Naruto marveled at the way she slid her arm into Sasuke's as if they had been friends for ages.

"Is this your Anima!?" she squealed loudly, peering over Sasuke's shoulder at where Naruto hid. "Sasuke-kun, he's _**adorable**_!"

Her gushing only increased in volume when Naruto blushed deeply.

"…Hi." The blonde greeted shyly.

The woman smiled warmly. "I've always wanted to see what kind of Anima Sasuke-kun would pick." She chuckled, loosening her grip on Sasuke's arm (the raven-haired man instantly took the opportunity to put more space between him and the practically glowing woman). "I knew that you'd be extraordinary, since you're Sasuke-kun's…but you're much cuter than I would have _ever _imagined."

Sasuke bristled as Naruto's blush deepened. "…Thanks." He replied, uncertain of what to do as Sakura continued to coo over him.

"If only Ino could be as cute as you…" she sighed woefully, only start as something pushed her from behind.

"I'm plenty cute, forehead." A blonde girl with pig ears snorted from behind her. Her companion's face sported a deep scowl as she stood with her arms crossed, radiating with displeasure from her master's comment. Sasuke glanced at her with interest; though he would never admit to it, he still harbored some level of respect for Sakura and was interested in what Anima she had chosen as well.

Sakura had graduated alongside him at the top of the academy, though her specialties lay in a completely different field. Intelligent and kind, she was celebrated for having a rare affinity for medical jutsus that was said to be found only once in every decade. Together, they had been known as prodigies and had often been paired together for practice and field exams.

Her previous obsession with him had effectively caused him to avoid her at all costs, however, though he was glad to see that she had mellowed a bit since they had last met.

…Yes, squealing and screeching was considered mellow.

Sasuke prided himself in never running away, but that didn't stop him from adopting a brisk pace whenever Sakura was near.

"I'm Ino." The blond girl introduced herself before grinning as she stared at Sasuke. "You're hot, just like Sakura said!"

"You…_you stupid __**pig**__!_" Sakura shrilled with embarrassment, smacking the blonde girl on the head.

"Are you guys here for the compatibility exam too?" Naruto asked, feeling more relaxed in the presence of another Anima (not to mention the nauseous look on Sasuke's face was a great mood lifter). He had originally thought that Kakashi was the only person that could make his stoic master squirm, but now it was clear that Sakura was yet another person the raven-haired man found difficult to deal with.

After the week of hell Sasuke had just put him through (_Shitty fox, how do you not know how to wash dishes correctly!? I bet I could spend a year looking through your brain looking for any semblance of rational thought and turn up empty handed_), Naruto was more than elated to see his master looking as miserable as he did now.

"Yup." Sakura answered with a nod. "Isn't that so _nice_, Sasuke-kun?" she sighed dreamily. "We get to take our exams together, just like old times!"

"…Hn." Sasuke sounded, his face tense.

"What are we going to do, anyways?" Naruto asked curiously. "This guy won't tell me anything." He pouted, motioning towards his master.

Sasuke wanted to roll his eyes. _That's because I don't know anything either, idiot._

Sakura frowned. "I'm not really sure." She answered thoughtfully. "I hear the exam changes every year."

"They must have started doing these recently." The fox mused. "I don't remember…ah…I didn't hear about these in the Nursery."

Sasuke shot him a side-ways glance as the blonde corrected himself mid-sentence. Naruto had no doubt that he would only cause unnecessary confusion if he said that he had never taken this exam with his previous master, and although he rather liked Sakura he didn't feel like explaining himself to her.

Sakura didn't seem to notice his momentary hesitation, though Ino peered curiously at the other Anima before giving a soft snort.

_There's no need to say anything._ Naruto glanced at the other blonde pointedly.

Ino understood and shrugged.

"I'm pretty sure they started doing these recently, though I'm not sure why." Sakura explained. She smiled widely before turning to her own Anima. "But it's nice to know if you and your Anima get along, neh?"

"I still hate you, forehead." Ino turned around with her arms crossed.

"Awwww Ino…I'm sorry for earlier, you're cute too." Her master cooed as she attempted to placate her sulking partner.

"…I think they're calling for us to gather." Sasuke spoke, motioning towards the area where a majority of people were now standing.

"Ah you're right." The pink-haired woman agreed before enveloping Sasuke in a tight (and most unwelcome) embrace. "I suppose we'll split up here! It was great to see you again, Sasuke-kun! I've missed you soooooo much."

"…Tch…" the raven-haired man frowned, looking so uncomfortable that Naruto had to turn away to hide his grin.

"See you, Naruto-kun!" Sakura waved as she left, Ino giving them an apologetic look before following suit. Sasuke and Naruto looked after them for a moment before heading off themselves, Sasuke's silence indicative that he didn't want to talk about what had just transpired.

As if Naruto could let such a juicy opportunity slide.

"She's great, I like her." Naruto smiled up at his master, only to have Sasuke whack his head in reply.

"Not. Another. Word."

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Two cloaked figures stood perched on the branch of a tree that skirted the area, both of them keeping their presence masterfully hidden as they surveyed the gathering below.

"It's been a while since we've had any fun." One spoke, sharp teeth glinting as they clashed together.

His companion remained silent, red eyes gazing at one particular ninja as the raven-haired man pushed a small blonde away from him in annoyance.

"Ah." The other man spoke again. "It's been a while since you saw him, hasn't it?"

The first man's face split into a leering smile that spoke of the multitude of terrors to come.

"Indeed."

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AlexandriteSky: Annnnnddd the cliffhangers are back…I'm sorry! This chapter is the start of what I predict to be a rather long arc, so sit back and enjoy the show ;) Please leave a review on your way out – feedback is always so motivating!


	23. Compatibility I

Many thanks to: **Goshikku Hime wa Yami-san, TearsDrippingDown, kage kitsune no yami, , JustCallMeMoMo, ovicati, Narutopokefan, Jaa-Ne, HollowMusic, xRememberxMe, DayDreamBlue, TKM, Kelly185891, Cam, lilytothelake, and mikako17 **for your wondrous reviews! I love you all!

**Ovicati**: Ahhhhh sorry about the confusion! In this story Sasuke has already passed the ANBU exam and I believe I intended for him to be around 18, while Naruto's age is...well, it's hard to describe Naruto's age because of certain reasons xD As for the line breaks you mentioned quite a while ago, I actually don't know how to do those! I'm in a rush to get this chapter up bc I'm about to leave for the rest of the day, but I promise for the next chapter I'll get it figured out! Thanks so much for your support!

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I wonder what we'll be doing." Ino mused, swinging her feet back and forth as she gazed uncertainly at the gathering standing on the other side of the field. She was not the only one doing so – there was a certain aura of uneasiness stirring amongst the rest of the anima as they each gazed towards their respective masters, mostly likely having not often being forced from their sides.

Upon announcing the beginning of the exam's explanation, each Anima had instantly had instantly been separated from their masters without time to even mutter last words. Now the exam prompter spoke to the humans far enough away so that it even escaped super human hearing, effectively leaving the rest of them in the dark.

"…I hope my score with Sasuke isn't too low." Naruto muttered with a sigh, squatting unceremoniously on the ground.

Ino's brow rose. "That's rather pessimistic of you to say." She commented wryly. "Though I have no idea if I should even be talking." She added with a soft giggle. "Forehead and I can't go five minutes without fighting."

"I'm not really sure Sasuke and I ever _stop_ fighting." Naruto replied, and together they laughed for a few more moments.

Ino's expression grew serious and she turned towards the other blonde.

"I remember seeing you in the Nursery, before Sakura came for me." She confessed. "You seem to be doing…better now."

Naruto grimaced. It was awkward knowing that almost all of the other Anima already knew of his situation, due to his very obvious isolation in the Nursery – he was only glad that most had the sense to keep quiet about the subject to their human masters.

The incident at Sound was only further proof that his situation was a…delicate one that was best left unspoken.

"Some of us thought you'd never come out." Ino continued, cerulean eyes averted.

"I thought so too." Naruto admitted. His days at the Nursery seemed like a distant dream now – one that remained hazy in his memory, despite having been encaged there for more than a decade (just how long, Naruto was not entirely sure – time had lost meaning to him after he had decided to imprison himself within its white walls).

"Is it…is it the same?" Ino asked cautiously, her voice clearly indicating that she knew she was walking on thin ice. "I can't even imagine what it feels like to…"

She gulped loudly.

"…You know." She finished lamely, scrambling for words.

Naruto gazed into the distance. "…It hurts. Death is a better alternative." He deadpanned, his voice flat. He smiled as Ino flinched, having not intended to make the other uncomfortable. "But Sasuke makes it better."

Ino's expression relaxed.

"I'm glad." She said genuinely. "Everyone else would be glad too. We were all worried."

Naruto was grateful for the concern of his kin. Even after his seclusion, he could still feel their concern from the outside; he would always be special amongst his peers, though he really didn't deserve the attention.

"Doesn't he kinda look like that one guy thought" Ino mused, her eyes focused on Sasuke's form from where he stood several yards away.

Her words struck Naruto as odd.

"That one guy?" he repeated, cocking his head to the side.

Ino gazed at him quizzically. "I suppose it's not surprising you don't remember." She chuckled, shaking her head. "You wouldn't wake up no matter what when he visited."

_Ah_. Naruto thought. _Yeah that sounds like me._

"He looked exactly like your master does now though." Ino frowned. "Maybe just a bit more mature. He immediately went to you, which we all thought was pretty weird – I think we all forgot about it, though, since you obviously had no interest in him."

Something tugged on the edge of Naruto's brain, as if alerting him that this was important information he should retain. Though the blonde had never been a thinker, even he could recognize when something was off.

"How long ago was that?" he asked, the corners of his lips tugging downwards.

"Oh I don't remember…maybe like ten years ago?" Ino frowned. "Give or take a few. I was just a babe back then, but even then I knew that there was something…off about him."

"Hmmmm…" Naruto sounded as the wheels in his head churned. Ino's description was pricking at his memory like a sharp needle, yet Naruto had no idea which memories were being agitated.

He would discuss this with Sasuke the next time they were able.

"Now I wish I had woken up." He spoke wryly.

"He tried his best." Ino replied. "That guy was pretty determined. He stayed around the entire day hoping to catch you awake."

"No human looks for me with good intentions in mind." Naruto's lip rose in a snarl. "Not once."

"What about Sasuke?" Ino asked, looking puzzled.

Naruto relaxed, placated with thoughts of his new master. "Him and my last master are the same." He smiled fondly, looking down at his hands which were clasped in his lap. "They didn't look for me – they _found _me."

Before Ino could respond a loud sound attracted their attention, and both Anima looked up to see their masters walking away from the field.

"Ah…" one Anima spoke up next to Naruto, looking troubled.

The blonde couldn't blame him. The anxiety of not being by their masters' side to protect them was deep and conditioned; many of the Anima around him were young and inexperienced, allowing the fear to hit even harder than normal.

In the beginning, Naruto might have felt the same.

_Shitty fox, I can take care of myself._

His master was different now.

_Become my sword, not my shield._

"Alright y'all. Gather around." A voice sounded from in front of them. It came from a bear-looking man standing on a slightly raised platform, allowing him to glanced over them with sharp eyes.

"Don't get yer panties in a knot." The man snapped when he received a few wary stares. "You'll be able to talk to your masters again in a second."

The hushed whispers stalled, and each Anima looked significantly more assured than before.

"Alright, we're going to hand out ear pieces now – one for each." The man barked, motioning for his aids to begin distributing the small devices. "Each earpiece connects you with your master and allows you to hear their voices – however, be aware that this ain't a two way street, meaning you can hear them but they can't hear you."

Naruto grabbed his eagerly.

"Sasuke!" he cheered with a large wave of his arms, causing in the front to heave a loud sigh of exasperation.

"…as I was saying, your masters can't hear you." He repeated grumpily, obviously preferring to be elsewhere instead of working crowd control with a bunch of anxious Anima.

"Idiot." His earpiece crackled to life. "Stop flailing and listen to the rest of the instructions."

"Ehhhhhhhh?" Naruto looked around. "They can see us!?"

The man looked thoroughly irked at being interrupted yet again. "…as I was _just_ about to explain." He ground out with a glare. "Yes, your masters can see your positions as well. Obviously, you can't see them."

"This is getting awfully complicated." Ino snorted. "I don't like the idea of forehead creepin' on me like a stalker. Gross."

Naruto's tail waved happily at the prospect of Sasuke watching over him.

"Fox." Sasuke's voice rang sternly. "Did you forget why we're here? Stop looking so goddamn _happy_."

"Sorrrryyyy." Naruto drawled unapologetically, despite knowing that Sasuke couldn't hear him (he received a few strange looks, but whatever).

"Hn."

Op. It looked like Sasuke understood him anyways.

"You there." The prompter spoke crossly. "Would you kindly do me a favor and SHUT THE FUCK UP? I'm trying to explain the rules of this exam here, in case you haven't noticed."

Naruto rolled his eyes.

He didn't care about what anybody else other than Sasuke had to say.

…Actually, did he even really listen to Sasuke in the first place?

…

…

Hmmm…..

Food for thought.

"We will soon be relocating to a different area, in which the exam will take place." The guy droned. "Once there, each of you will be separated and placed in your respective testing sites – obviously each site is equal and allows equal opportunity for all. There, you will be blindfolded, and your sense of smell will no longer be an advantage as well."

Naruto's mouth fell open, similar to the expressions of many around him.

_Taking away both sight __**and **__smell? _They might as well have been changed back into newborns, just barely managing to crawl around on their feet.

"I can see that many of you already understand the implications of these restrictions." The prompter spoke with amusement. "Your masters have already been informed of the goal of the exam, which they will pass onto you through your earpiece once you reach the exam site. You will have nothing to rely on except for your master's orders during the length of this test."

Ino whistled by Naruto's side. "Really not making this easy for us, huh." She commented, fingering the ear piece in her hands.

The blonde male eyed her curiously.

"Not gonna put yours in?"

Ino rolled her eyes. "I will once Sakura stops jabbering in my ear about how your master is the epitome of perfection and grace. I think she's literally just sitting there and staring at him."

Naruto chuckled. He wasn't sure why, but he actually quite liked the pink-haired woman despite only having met her for a brief moment of time. She had a certain liveliness that was lost upon most others in her profession, and even though she had an unhealthy adoration for Sasuke, he found that he didn't mind (though he strongly suspected it was due to the fact that Sasuke look positively miserable every time she was near).

"Alright, let's head out." The prompter announced.

"Don't get lost, retard." Sasuke's voice crackled to life.

Naruto made a face and followed Ino's example in removing his ear piece. "I think you had the right idea." He explained when Ino stared at him curiously.

The blonde girl laughed in reply, and together they followed the exam prompter as he led them away from the field. Naruto couldn't help but whistle his appreciation as they approached a large transparent structure constructed entirely of what seemed like glass. Within the structure were several identical rooms, and it was pretty clear that each of them would be taking their exams in one of each of these separate rooms.

"Before I let you get too close, we're going to have to blindfold you." The man instructed.

Naruto warily eyed the piece of cloth that was handed to him.

_This wasn't going to be fun._

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"This will be your room, Uchiha-san." A woman explained, leading the raven-haired man into a small cubicle-like room that overlooked the exam grounds. From his position Sasuke was awarded a full birds-eye view of the room Naruto had been placed in.

He watched as the idiot floundered around, all traces of his previous grace lost due to the absence of his senses.

"Stop moving. You're being unproductive." Sasuke snapped, tired of watching the fox flail. The blonde froze and looked wildly around, his mouth moving though Sasuke heard none of it.

Somehow he could still sense (or should he say _predict_) what the fox was muttering.

_Stupid Sasuke I'd like to see you blindfolded and shoved into a glass room._

Though he knew he shouldn't, Sasuke rose to the insult anyways.

"Idiot."

The blonde flailed. _Hey!_

"Look." Sasuke sighed, choosing to move on before time ran out. "This part of the exam is simple, so listen up."

The blonde quieted.

"From what they told us, they'll be releasing moving targets into the room soon." The raven-haired man explained. "The goal is for you to break all of them within the designated time limit. I'm sure you're not completely retarded, but I'll say it anyways – the faster time, the better. Understood?"

The blonde rolled his eyes but nodded.

"Good."

A bell rang in the distance as one panel of the glass room opened, and Sasuke's brow rose as wooden birds flew into the room, obviously being manipulated by somebody else's chakra. They moved at a much faster speed than he had originally expected, and the raven-haired man felt a wave of trepidation.

Because of his fox's admittedly high level of skill, Sasuke had been a bit overconfident in hearing the rules of the exam. He had even entertained the possibility that the blonde wouldn't need him at all…

…but after Naruto promptly charged face first into a wall, Sasuke knew that he had no choice but to reconsider.

"Fox. Stop attacking blindly – it's not getting you anywhere." He snapped as Naruto continued to flail. "Do exactly as I say."

Naruto paused, but continued to stare in the direction of the wall, obviously having lost all sense of direction. A target swooped down next to him causing him to flinch, but the blonde obediently waited for Sasuke to speak.

"Okay." Sasuke stated, having collected his thoughts. "Right now you're still staring at the left wall. You need to reorient yourself."

The blonde nodded.

"Turn around 180 degrees and walk about eight steps." Sasuke instructed. He grimaced as the blonde did as he was told, only to have a target descend out of the air and strike at his legs.

The look on Naruto's face said everything he wanted to say.

_THEY ATTACK ME TOO!?_

A bead of perspiration slid down Sasuke's cheek as yet another target struck the blonde from behind, pushing the blonde and redirecting him. The raven-haired man had no idea how he would be able to utter both directions and warnings at the same time.

"Okay let's start over. There are currently five targets surrounding you – dodge to your left!"

The blonde did as he was told but was not able to avoid the target entirely, causing it to nick his arm. Naruto's face scrunched in pain as blood trickled down from where he was struck, and Sasuke realized that the targets were not only annoying, but gaining power as well.

_What a pain in the ass_.

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AlexandriteSky: Well, Itachi hasn't made his appearance yet, but we all know he's going to show up soon and make everything go to shit xP Please leave a review, and I'll pop the next chapter out in no time!


	24. Compatibility II

Many thanks to: **Ovicati, FaLLenANgel4545, VampirePrinssess, Kyuubi's Death, TearsDrippingDown, Heartless Lotus, Seba-chan, JustCallMeMoMo, Narutopokefan, mikako17, kage kitsune no yami, DayDreamBlue, Aki, Goshikku Hime wa Yami-san, TKM, Saraaaaaaaah, and mikan27lover **for your lovely reviews!

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"On your left – _no don't jump left_ – ughhhh." Sasuke wanted to bury his face into his arms but knew he had no time to lament his current predicament.

A few minutes had already passed since the commencement of the exam, and so far Naruto had only managed to perform what looked like interpretative dance moves as he clumsily dodged and attacked the targets under Sasuke's guidance.

"When I say a direction, I mean that there is something coming _from_ that direction. If I want you to move I will tell you so – otherwise dodge in the direction the target is NOT coming from." Sasuke spoke hastily, speaking faster than he had ever done before in his life. "Just follow my orders, shitty fox."

Naruto was only allowed enough time to shoot the wall next to him a (wrongly directed) glare and a curt a nod before Sasuke alerted him to yet another target coming in from his right. Now that he was more accustomed to not being able to rely on his senses, Naruto's reaction time was improving, and he was able to escape the target with little trouble.

"Can you still use your fire?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto nodded again.

"Good. Try shooting it to your right on three…two…one…_now_."

A blast of flame was released from Naruto's hand, but it fruitlessly sailed through the air as the target easily dodged its trajectory. Another bird that had escaped Sasuke's attention flew down in a straight line from above, crashing into the blonde's skull and causing Naruto to stumble backwards in pain.

Sasuke's grit his teeth as the blonde clutched his head, the fox's lips white from his efforts to endure the force of the blow without crying out.

This was getting them nowhere – even worse, Sasuke's lack of strategy was causing his fox to endure unnecessary blows, which could possibly affect them in later parts of the exam.

The raven-haired man could _not_ afford to do badly. The words that were spoken earlier by the test promoter still echoed freshly in his mind.

"_Although this exam measures the level of compatibility between you and your Anima, please be aware that there are consequences if your score is too low."_

"_Due to the recent rise in rogue Anima and incidents in which Anima have turned against their masters. It has become necessary to ensure that members of the ANBU have complete control over their partners"_

"_Though this may seem cruel to you, Konoha reserves the right to nullify any partnerships that show any potential signs of danger due to the emerging Anima dilemma. This is all to protect Konoha from possible threats."_

"_You are forbidden to speak of this to your partners until the exam has reached its conclusion Breaking this rule will result in your disqualification from the exam." _

The fox was strong, and Sasuke needed him to be at his side.

"Hey." He said evenly.

The fox cocked his head inquisitively.

"No matter what happens, this exam is our first priority." The raven-haired man stated, his hands clenching into tight fists. "We don't have any choice but to finish it."

Naruto's mouth was moving once again as he kicked in front of him angrily.

_Well then I could really use some help over here, asshole!_

"I'm thinking." Sasuke growled, his jaw clenching tightly. "Unless you have any bright ideas?"

The fox gave the most scathing look a blindfolded man could.

_I thought it was __**your**__ job to do the thinking. I just follow orders."_

How the blonde could convey such sarcasm when all methods of communication afforded to him were sealed was beyond Sasuke, but it was received all the same.

"I'm working on it." The raven-haired man muttered, eyes scanning the field furiously (and ignoring Naruto's urge to "_work faster"_). The room was a simple square with no obstacles to hide behind, but that didn't mean it couldn't be used to their advantage.

"Back up until your back hits a wall, and then follow along it to your left." Sasuke commanded, his thoughts organizing. "I'm going to get you into a corner so that we minimalize their direction of attack."

With half of the potential directions of attack now sealed, Sasuke was able to anticipate the trajectories of the targets with more precision, allowing him to direct his fox's movements with better success. Naruto seemed more confident as well to have protection on three sides, and under Sasuke's direction he proceeded to create a wall of flame in order to seal the danger from his front side as well.

"Now the rest is simple." Sasuke smirked, leaning backwards and allowing his shoulders to relax a bit. "The targets can only attack from above."

Unfortunately for them, it was taking Naruto more effort than usual to maintain the wall of flame in front of him due to the resistance of the glass that the walls and the floor were constructed by. If the ground had been flammable, Naruto would have been able to focus all his efforts to above him, but now he remained slightly handicapped with one hand directed in front of him and one pointed above.

"Okay. One's coming." Sasuke spoke, eyes locking onto one bird that had decided to take its chance.

Naruto nodded, and with his master's aid he was easily able to take down the first target with one perfectly timed jab upwards.

The blonde threw up both arms in exhilaration, his mouth open wide in a silent yell.

"_WAHOOOOO!"_

He was then promptly slapped by a target which easily swooped in from the now vulnerable front.

"You deserved that." Sasuke mused.

The blonde huffed.

Two targets charged him at the same time, one from a forty five degree angle and one from the front, and Sasuke struggled for a way to convey this accurately to his not-so-bright partner. Their task would be much easier if Naruto could locate the targets with more precision.

"Alright fox, we're going to test how well you learned to make ramen last week." The raven-haired man spoke, smirking as the blonde looked thoroughly confused. "Imagine that you're standing in the door way to the kitchen. You have a target coming in in the cupboard where we keep the spices and one coming in from the sink. You got that?"

The blonde opened his mouth as if to protest but then seemed to reconsider.

Responding to Sasuke's cue, Naruto flipped into the air, and he was able to take out the top target with a slap of his tails while slamming down onto the one that was now below him.

Sasuke didn't know whether to be proud or sigh.

_Figures._

_The idiot absorbs absolutely everything that pertains to ramen._

"_Three down!" _Naruto did a little dance.

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Don't complain if you get hit again, idiot."

"_Hey!" _The blonde stuck his tongue out though he calmed down regardless.

With only two more targets to look out for, Sasuke could taste the end of this exam on the tip of his tongue. He realized that once he got his mind in order, it really hadn't been that hard; Naruto's unwavering trust in his directions had allowed him to respond quickly to Sasuke's commands without wasting time due to hesitancy.

Sasuke allowed a small, thin smile to grace his features (it wasn't as though anybody could see him anyways).

Perhaps they would do better than he thought.

"You've got another one coming from the fridge." He warned, wanting to roll his eyes when Naruto faced the direction with pinpoint accuracy.

Another count down, and this target was demolished just like the others. Naruto was looking positively ecstatic, and the last target hovered a few meters away from him as if not wanting to test its luck.

"Alright, it's coming in from the noodle cabinet…" Sasuke began, relishing in the feeling of victory. He leaned forward, ready to give the fox his last instructions before becoming aware of a presence in the room that hadn't been there before.

Turning around, his eyes widened before instantly turning red as his chair went crashing to its side. The raven-haired man ripped off his headset, the corners of his mouth pulling backwards in a vicious growl. The Sharingan spiraled in his eyes, only to be mirrored by an identical pair.

"_**You**_."

Itachi smiled evenly.

"Me."

"You…" Sasuke trembled, fury rushing through his veins and flooding every limb of his body. "_You sick bastard!"_

He lunged at the smirking man, only to have a heavy blow delivered to the back of his neck. As he slipped into unconsciousness, Sasuke realized he had made a fatal mistake – assuming that Itachi had been the only one in the room.

"Gained some courage, did you little brother?" Itachi chuckled as Sasuke's eyes struggled to stay open. "Still as ineffective as ever, however."

Darkness engulfed Sasuke's vision, though the blood red of Itachi's eyes burned through the shadows.

"Still too weak."

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Naruto was not sure which alerted him to trouble first – Sasuke's sudden silence or the intense surge of emotion he felt through their bond.

Dark.

**Empty.**

All he knew was that

_Something had happened to Sasuke._

With a wail Naruto lashed out around him, filling the room with a surge of power. The target struck him from the side but the fox barely felt it – after transforming, he darted around the room fruitlessly, a hazy buzzing filling his head. His claws screeched against the glass, the resulting sound harmonizing with his desperate whines as he scampered in mad circles.

_No use._

_Must calm down._

"**No matter what happens, this exam is our first priority. We don't have any choice but to finish it."** Sasuke's voice echoed in his head. His master had sounded even more serious than usual, though Naruto had dismissed it in his frantic attempts to defend himself against unpredictable attacks. The raven-haired man would probably never forgive him if he forfeited the exam – with one target left, Naruto would just have to take care of it himself.

Taking deep breaths and ignoring the sudden urge to cry, the fox pressed himself into a corner just as he had done earlier. Though he could neither see, hear, nor smell, fear and overwhelming anxiety were keeping his senses tingling, and Naruto curled his form beneath his three tails as he waited for the target to strike.

_Sasuke…_

His tails cushioned the targets blow and Naruto took the opportunity to lunch forward and snatch the remaining target in his mouth, chomping down and breaking the target with a mighty crunch.

With the exam over, Naruto ripped off his blindfold and ear pieces, his heart beating violently against his ribcage.

_Where?_

_Where is he?_

The fox charged at the glass without hesitation, slamming through headfirst and ignoring the resulting cuts and scrapes from the shattering glass. After being released from the small prison, he was rewarded with his sense of smell, which he quickly used to track down the hidden tower that Sasuke had been watching over him from. Luckily for him it had been built for the use of only one contender, which saved him the trouble of having to explain the situation to others. His scent was then joined by two others, and Naruto's nose scrunched at the smell of a human joined with that of an Anima's.

Sasuke had been ambushed.

Black flickered within crimson orbs as Naruto bound out of the tower, following the scents of Sasuke's aggressors as it led him away from the site of the exam.

_Give him back._

If he lost Sasuke…

Naruto knew he wouldn't be able to make it back to the Nursery this time.

He wouldn't be able to beat the madness again.

_Faster_.

The fox tracked them deep into a forest, sleek form maneuvering between trees as he came to a small cabin. Throwing himself at the front door he found himself able to break through quite easily, causing him to collide with the side of a chair with a heavy thud.

Hackles raised and sharp canines glinting, Naruto took in the image of Sasuke's bound form collapsed against the back wall. Rage blurred his vision as he dashed forward towards him to confirm his condition, only to have his path blocked by a tall figure. He snarled upwards, ready to rip off the man's face for _daring_ to harm Sasuke, but froze at what he saw.

_A man that looks just like Sasuke…_

"We finally meet, Kyuubi." The man spoke pleasantly as Naruto shrunk back, every strand of fur on his body standing at end.

_Oh no…_

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AlexandriteSky: Thank you so much for reading, and please leave a review!


	25. Compatibility III

_**Fear.**_

Sasuke's eyes snapped open to see Itachi towering over Naruto, the monster's lips pulled back in a pleased smile as the fox slowly inched away from him.

"We finally meet, Kyuubi." His elder brother greeted.

_Kyuubi?_

The foreign name only seemed to terrify Naruto further as he gave an obvious start.

"Naruto." Sasuke spoke, voice hoarse from the blow he had been dealt earlier. "Come here."

With a blink the fox was at his side, the animal's tiny nose twitching uncontrollably as it anxiously quivered against his leg.

"Naruto?" Itachi tried the word with interest. "Did _you_ give him that name?"

Naruto's ears shot upwards in alarm as Sasuke struggled against the metal chains that both bound his arms and sealed his chakra. Such tools were often used by the ANBU in order to subdue prisoners; Sasuke cursed the irony that he found himself chained by them now.

"It's his name." he growled hatefully.

Itachi's brow shot straight up, and he stood frozen for a brief few moments before erupting into crazed laughter.

"Surely you jest, little brother." He chuckled. "Or do you really not know?"

At his side Naruto's legs stiffened, and the fox's lips pulled back in a feral growl.

"So he hasn't told you." Itachi commented, crouching down.

With a flash Naruto transformed and he blocked Sasuke from view as if protecting him. "It is the law of our species not to speak of it." He snarled, his voice trembling in a way that Sasuke had never heard before.

_What is he so scared of?_

"Then let me enlighten my little brother in your place." The older man said smoothly.

"No-!" Naruto lunged forward brashly only to have Itachi fluidly grab his face and force him to the ground, blood pooling beneath the bottom of the blonde's skull.

"Itachi!" Sasuke spat murderously. "Release him!"

"Your pet is going to have to be silent for a few minutes." The man said flatly, unflinching against Naruto's flailing form. "While I educate my foolish little brother on what he has been blindly holding in his hands."

"Mmphhhh!" Naruto struggled to no avail.

"The Jubi." Itachi sighed. "A beast rumored to have created the very world itself. It is said that the Sage divided it into Nine, creating the Original Nine."

Sasuke's pupils dilated.

_The original nine?_

These words were familiar to him; they were the very words Kabuto had spoken before Naruto had inexplicably attacked him during their mission in Sound.

"This isn't your first time hearing it, I see." Itachi observed. "Your so called _fox_ is the Kyuubi – the nine-tailed bijuu. When all the nine of them are gathered, it is said that the Jubi will be revived, bestowing upon its contracted human enough power to control the world."

Sasuke's jaw slacked.

…_What?_

Naruto stilled, and the blonde could feel Sasuke's piercing gaze on him as he lay frozen against the ground.

_Why?_

The fox didn't understand.

He didn't understand who this human was, or why he knew their secrets.

"Mmmmphhhh!" he struggled, lashing out at his capturer with a flame imbued fist. It proved ineffective as Itachi endured the blow, treating it like no more than a pesky mosquito bite.

"The original nine." Itachi smiled, gazing down at the blonde. "The first and original Anima. They are not governed by the same rules as the others; they are beings that transcend even the need for a human bond. The eight revealed themselves shortly after turning their backs on mankind, but for some reason the ninth chose to remain hidden within the safety of the Nursery. He put himself in the mercy of Konoha's protection and even allowed the possibility of acquiring a new master."

Red eyes glinted metallically as Itachi's fingers pressed Naruto's skull even further into the ground.

"Did you know, little brother?" he asked breezily. "I actually went to the Nursery and visited this little fox."

Sasuke's face was pale as he listened.

"He did not wake up for me." Itachi spat out bitterly. "I was not chosen. Imagine my surprise upon finding _you_ to be his master when he rejected all else."

His eyes narrowed, the sharingan brightly accented against deep red.

"You." He clucked his tongue. "My weak, _fragile_ little brother whom I allowed to live on a mere whim. I was surprised to even find you alive – I was sure that seeing our dear, departed father would be too much of a shock-"

Blinding rage erupted from Sasuke and vibrated in their bond, causing Naruto to rise with a surge of power as he felt his master's overwhelming fury. His tails wrapped around Itachi's arm as fire coursed through them, causing the older man to snatch the limb back to his side and grant the fox his freedom. The blonde rushed back to Sasuke's side, his tails spanning out protectively.

"Why?" he asked, his voice cracking. "Why do you know so much? Not just you – other humans too."

He shivered as he remembered Kabuto's smug face leering over his own.

"Your beloved Konoha has known about your existence since its very creation." Itachi shook his head. "Why are all of you so uninformed? I'm disappointed."

"I don't give a fuck about you or your approval." Sasuke spat out, finding his voice. "Fight me, Itachi! Don't hide behind dirty tricks!"

"You still do not understand, little brother." Itachi spoke with exasperation. "Your existence itself is inconsequential."

Naruto growled. "Sasuke's existence is everything." He said stonily. "You are the one who does not understand."

The older man observed with interest as the blonde refuted him defiantly.

"Your fox has a loud bark," Itachi remarked, drawing clearer. "Though with the number of tails he has, I don't think his bite can quite compare."

The blonde's tails flicked as if with annoyance, but Naruto remained uncharacteristically quiet.

_Worry._

Sasuke glanced at his partner, his mind still struggling to absorb everything that had been said. He had always known his fox was special – that much had been painfully obvious. But now that Itachi stared at the blonde with such apparent hunger in his eyes, the raven-haired man began to realize just what kind of burden he had unknowingly shouldered.

…Burden?

Was that it?

"I'm going to kill you, Itachi." Sasuke hissed. "I don't care what you have to say. I will rip you apart, limb by limb, for what you did!"

Naruto glanced behind him, startled by the amount of hate dripping from his master's voice.

He wasn't necessarily the sharpest slice of bread, but the fox understood the hints, and it made his blood run cold. He remembered the dreams of blood and tears that often flashed before him the few times when Sasuke was vulnerable, and right now his master's emotions peaked so violently that they bled into his own.

_He killed them._

With this realization, Naruto became absolutely livid.

"You _fucker_!" He snarled, showing off sharp canines.

"You've trained him well." Itachi admired, applauding the fox's open hostility. "Unknowingly, you have molded one of the legendary bijuu into being your personal lapdog."

"What do you want, Itachi?" Sasuke snapped, mentally bidding his fox to wait. Naruto looked as though he was itching to attack, and the raven-haired man knew that spontaneity would only prove to be futile against his older brother.

_**Patience.**_

Naruto seethed but stilled.

"My goals have never changed." The older man deadpanned. "It has always been about _power_."

* * *

_**Pain.**_

_**Hatred.**_

_**Sadness.**_

Naruto struggled to keep his head clear as foreign emotions invaded his own, twisting and churning in his chest until he feared he would be overwhelmed by their intensity. They leaked from Sasuke's unmoving form, and though the raven-haired man remained temporarily compliant the metallic tint of his eyes betrayed the fire of his will.

Though the blonde would protect him until his very last breath, Naruto found that he was still too terrified to meet his master's eyes. He was scared of what he would see there, spiraling within the depths of anger and infinite darkness.

Would Sasuke be mad at him for keeping it a secret?

It wasn't as if Naruto didn't trust him.

But such things, such _power_…

Weren't they better left unsaid?

The fox had always been swept into an endless loop – he craved companionship yet harbored an intense distrust for mankind; he despised them, yet wanted to protect them all the same. From the very beginning, the blonde had been determined to fulfill his late master's wish of watching over Konoha, yet he had stayed in the Nursery with his tail tucked in between his legs while everything in his master's beloved village had gone to shit.

He wanted his master to be strong, yet he had kept him oblivious to the true possibilities of being his master.

He had not intended to tell Sasuke the truth.

Not yet, at least.

Not at this point in their bond.

Naruto knew only too well the taste of corruption and the disgusting smear it left on the tip of his tongue. Sasuke was like fresh air that surrounded him and embraced him, purifying the doubts that the blonde had brewed within him for over a hundred years.

Sasuke had wanted him for _him_, without knowing anything of the burden he carried.

Now he knew, and Naruto feared _change_.

He feared and feared; still, he would not let Sasuke die.

Nothing was scarier than having another bond ripped away.

"Naruto."

The blonde's head shot up at the foreign sound of his name leaving Sasuke's mouth before immediately averting his gaze, his stomach clenching and unclenching. His master stared directly at him, though the blonde avoided his gaze with much trepidation as his lower lip trembled.

Since his rebirth as the Kyuubi, Naruto had known almost nothing but rejection. He had secluded himself on that mountain in a place even time could not touch, far from the reaches of greed and the disparity of human affection for his kind. Time and time again the fox found himself feared and hated, and even when he was lifted into the light he had been mercilessly thrown back down into the darkness only moments later.

Sasuke's rejection would be too cruel.

As would be the adulteration of his soul.

"Don't you dare lower your eyes when I'm talking to you." Sasuke snapped, forcing the blonde to meet his gaze with reluctance. Naruto was startled by the raw intensity that illuminated Sasuke's onyx eyes which spoke of none of the emotions he had been expecting.

"Naruto. You are mine."

_**Do not doubt.**_

The blonde's lips stretched into a wide grin.

"Okay."

"Touching." Itachi drawled. "I'm sorry little brother, but time is running short and we have a need for your fox."

Sasuke's teeth gnashed in a fierce snarl.

"Over my dead body."

"Yes." His brother replied amiably, taking one step closer. "That was the plan."


	26. Compatibility IV

AlexandriteSky: Thank you guys so much for waiting! Here is the next installment, I really hope you enjoy it! I'm really sorry about the wait, but I'm sure all of you have already heard the life spiel a million times now.

AlexandriteSky: Also, I'm taking the MCAT in a month, so it's possible that it may be a while until the next update as well. I will try to get it done as soon as I can though!

Many thanks to: **TearsDrippingDown, Narutopokefan, ovicati, mikan27lover, TKM, Crispybaconlove, kelly185891, kage kitsune no yami, JustCallMeMoMo, Cam, Drawn2Danger, MoonIllusion, FaLLenANgeL4545, VampirePrinssess, Goshikku Hime wa Yami-san, and Ally-oop312 **for your wonderful reviews! You guys are the reason I keep on updating!

* * *

"_You have lost touch with your creation, Jubi. The world has evolved far past your expectations while you slept undisturbed – it only seems fair that you reacquainted yourself with it before deciding to rip it apart."_

"_I have watched over humans for a lifetime now and I still do not have the answer that you seek. Regardless, I believe that they have earned themselves the right to at least be understood."_

"_I am an observer; I see all and do not pass judgments – that is your responsibility. I only wish to catalyze your decision and see it carried out fairly."_

"_Your power will be sealed and split into nine. In that state, your chakra will be unstable and must rely on an outer source to provide stability and control. Humans will serve as your anchor, and you will be forced to coexist until a decision is made."_

* * *

Naruto had never felt the weight of his curse as clearly as he felt it now. With his three tails standing straight behind him in alarm, the fox bravely held his ground as Itachi slowly approached.

"Remember. He can use the same bloodline technique as me." Sasuke's voice was thin, like dough stretched across a pan that was much too large.

Naruto nodded mutely though a shiver made its way down his spine. He had only seen Sasuke's sharingan once before, and swirling blood was still imprinted in his mind as clearly as the day he witnessed it. The sharingan was one of the most terrifying techniques he had ever witnessed – his last master had had his own bag of tricks, but nothing that could make his opponent lose his grasp on reality with as much as Sasuke had done.

The sharingan could make a man _insane_.

Itachi's eyes sparkled.

"And how are you so sure that you're not already in my illusion?" he smiled.

Sasuke swore, seeing the glint in his brother's eyes. "Naruto, don't-" he began, only to have his voice muffled by snakes that had suddenly wrapped themselves around his body.

"Let him go!" Naruto hissed, charging towards the smirking man. He lashed out with his tails and nimbly launched himself to the side when Itachi retaliated, using the wall as a spring to send him flying back with his fist ready to strike.

Itachi flashed a lazy symbol and Naruto found himself flying though nothing but air, his opponent's image wavering around him. The blonde sailed through and collided with a loud thud on the floor.

"Shouldn't you be more concerned about your master?" The man taunted. Naruto turned and released a choked noise upon realizing that Sasuke was no longer visible under the pile of hissing terrors that constricted him.

"It's just an illusion." The blonde said uncertainly. "Sasuke told me so before."

"But as long as the victim is unable to escape, the injuries he sustains and the physical torture will all be real." Itachi hummed. "I'm sure Sasuke told you that as well?"

A burst of flame shot out from Naruto's hand, which Itachi dodged with ease. He snickered as Naruto rushed towards Sasuke's position and instantly began incinerating the slithering reptiles.

"Mmmmph." Sasuke sounded, his eyes a bit glazed.

Naruto doubled his efforts, sapphire eyes watering when they saw the multitude of bite marks marring Sasuke's pale skin.

Sasuke's face was purple by the time he was able to speak.

"_Idiot_!"

He glared at the blonde.

"Don't fall for his tricks." He snarled. "An idiot like you can be twisted around his finger like spaghetti."

"But the snakes-" Naruto protested weakly.

Sasuke's scowl intensified. "You really think I can't escape my own technique?" he snapped. "Use your brain for once, shitty fox. This is your illusion, not mine."

As if a light switch had been pressed, the snakes disappeared and Naruto was left flailing at thin air. Part of Sasuke's hair was singed, signifying that he had not escaped untouched from Naruto's reckless attacks.

The blonde drew back, horrified.

"There's no time for that." Sasuke cut in harshly, interrupting Naruto's flaring sense of guilt.

"Indeed there isn't."

Naruto gave a piercing yelp as a solid blow connected with his side, and the blonde thought he heard a couple of ribs crack as he was sent flying across the room.

"Bastard." Sasuke spat out hatefully.

"Oh I'm far from done, little brother. Your pet must learn its place at my feet, and you shall watch as I teach him it."

Naruto growled deeply, lips drawing back in a feral snarl.

"Only Sasuke can command me."

With a mighty gnash of his teeth Naruto transformed, his sleek form glinting underneath the light as he charged forward. With his heightened agility Naruto curved around the fist that Itachi launched and sunk his teeth into the man's forearm, taking great satisfaction in the blood that sprayed from the wound.

"Behind you!"

Without looking Naruto leaped away as Sasuke called out a warning, and he turned to face Itachi smiling and uninjured.

The fox's chest vibrated with a deep rumble of frustration. The sharingan continued to spin within Itachi's eyes, leaving Naruto unable to decipher illusion from reality.

"You have to break his illusion." Sasuke called. "Focus your attacks on his eyes."

"The peanut gallery should stay silent." Itachi growled, slamming his fist into the ground and causing a shockwave that knocked both Naruto and Sasuke aside. "Do not make me kill you first, little brother."

"Don't touch Sasuke!" Naruto hissed, wincing as his broken ribs flooded his body with pain. From the corner of his eyes he could see a thin trail of blood escaping from the corner of Sasuke's mouth, and its presence filled the fox with fury. He charged forward, nose twitching violently as he determinedly attempted to keep a grasp on reality. Though there was an image of Itachi standing before him, his scent told a different story; Naruto changed directions midway and made a sharp turn to the left, colliding headfirst with his opponent's stomach. Itachi gave a soft exhale of surprise but was able to recover quite easily by putting one foot behind him.

Naruto gave a muffled shriek as one hand wrapped around his muzzle, forcibly keeping his jaw together while the other hand lifted into the air to deliver the next blow.

"Fuck you!"

Naruto transformed just in time to avoid a devastating blow to his skull and escaped out of Itachi's reach with a spin in the air.

Reaching down, Naruto grabbed a fistful of debris that had resulted from their battle. Afterwards the blonde dashed forward with a loud cry before ducking down, his leg swinging in an attempt to disrupt his opponents balance. Itachi gracefully dodged the blow by jumping over it and brought his elbow down, which Naruto managed to block by hastily lifting both hands above him.

The man smirked. "You're getting better."

"But not enough."

Naruto only had time to glare before a swift blow landed on the side of his skull, leaving his vision blurry and his ears ringing as he stumbled backwards.

"In front of you-" Sasuke tried to call out, only to clench his jaw as his brother picked up the blonde by one arm so that Naruto hovered above the ground.

The blonde's eyes were unfocused as he stared upwards at his captor.

"Don't worry. We need you alive…for now." Itachi chuckled. "Though I would have expected the nine-tailed beast to to put up more of a fight."

The man's eyes creased in amusement as he effortlessly turned the blonde around like a small child. "Oh but I suppose we should call you the three-tailed beast for now. How embarrassing, being caught while most of your tails are missing."

Naruto's face flushed with humiliation.

"Although I suppose the blame must be shared with my brother." Itachi mused. "Have you begun to regret choosing him yet? He is young and foolish, and so very _damaged_; soon you will relish in being freed from his grasp."

"Itachi…you sick fuck." Sasuke bit out, face red. Inside, the raven-haired man seethed with blinding rage at seeing his brother manhandle the blonde. Naruto allowed almost nobody but Sasuke to touch him, and the blonde looked petrified within Itachi's grasp.

_If it wasn't for these damn chains sealing his chakra…!_

One trickle was all Sasuke needed.

_One line to be completed._

"Wait your turn, little brother." Itachi sighed. "I'll come take care of you soon."

Naruto's bangs shadowed his eyes as he continued to dangle from Itachi's grip. "I don't understand." He spoke quietly. "Why would you want to harm your own flesh and blood?"

Itachi's gaze was almost kind. "This world is cruel." He stated evenly. "Only the strong survive. My little brother will either live or die, regardless of whether or not it is by my hands. I am simply helping him along, like I did in the past."

Naruto shook angrily.

"That is _not_ a good reason."

The blonde's free arm swung upwards and released the debris he had picked up before. With well practiced aim the stones flew into Itachi's eyes, resulting in a grunt of pain as well as Naruto's immediate release.

Naruto didn't stick around to assess the damage caused by his stunt. Within seconds he was back by Sasuke's side, blood trickling down from each of his wounds. Sasuke eyed him but remained silent, though onyx eyes remained trained on the way the blonde panted as his chest heaved.

"'Suke." The blonde coughed. "You okay?"

Sasuke couldn't fathom how the blonde could worry about anybody but himself in his condition. He almost voiced his concern but restrained himself.

This was not the time.

"We need to get me free." He deadpanned instead.

Naruto nodded in whole-hearted agreement. "How?"

"I'm working on it. Just hold him off for a little longer."

"Okay."

With that, their brief exchange came to an end, giving the blonde enough time to glance back at Itachi and see that the man had regained his composure. Naruto's tactic had been effective; the older Uchiha's eyes were strained and teary, and the symbols inside of them had stopped moving.

There was one downside, however.

Itachi was _pissed_.

The room began to shake as the older man flashed a few signs, and the blonde screamed as a flood of electricity raged through the room, leaving nowhere for him to dodge as it engulfed him. In the back of his mind Naruto could hear Sasuke grunting in pain as well, but the current running through his body left him immobile as his fought with all of his willpower to stay conscious against the pain.

"I did not appreciate your little stunt, Kyuubi." Itachi spoke coldly, stepping on Naruto's back and grinding his heel mercilessly into it. The blonde shrieked as he felt his injured body press against the ground, grinding against broken bones and open wounds.

"Stop it." Sasuke coughed, his entire body shaking.

Naruto sobbed as Itachi lifted him by the hair, once again leaving the blonde dangling in his grasp.

"Stop it!"

Itachi spared his little brother a glance before smiling maniacally, his free hand coming up to wrap around the blonde's throat.

"Kkkkkch." Naruto choked, his vision blurring as Itachi applied more pressure against his airway.

Though he couldn't move his head, sapphire eyes instinctively went to his master. He saw Sasuke kneeling on the ground, onyx eyes flickering red as the raven-haired man struggled against his bonds.

_I've never seen 'Suke look that way before…_

_What does it mean?_

"Don't you _dare_ let him beat you, Naruto." Sasuke hissed, but there was a broken tint to his voice that Naruto had never heard before. Raw sadness seeped through their bond and whispered the truth that neither wanted to acknowledge.

They were defeated.

Sasuke, though still struggling, had given up.

He would lose everything a second time to the brother who had slaughtered their family – and now he would lose his partner as well.

His partner, his fox, his _strength_.

**Too weak.**

**Hopeless.**

Naruto's heart broke.

_It was happening all over again._

_He couldn't protect his precious thing. _

_He couldn't save Sasuke._

_He couldn't even give his master hope._

_It was over…_

…

…

…

"**Is that it?"**

Naruto's eyes snapped open.

_He __**knew**__ that voice!_

_A voice he hadn't heard in over a hundred years…_

"**Is this truly the extent of your bond?"**

The blonde trembled. _"M-master?"_

"**Naruto. Do you still think you're alone?"**

"_N-no! I have Sasuke! But I can't-"_

"**Then why do you still fight as if you are? You struggle with all of your power to protect us, yet never once have you fought with us. You think that you exist so that we can take your power, but haven't you realized that we can give you power as well? You have never once tried to rely on us; our bonds are not so trivial."**

"_I don't understand."_

"**Sasuke's strength is also your strength. We are reflections of each other; even if you are weak, you can be strong. We are not bonded to you so that you can protect us – we are bonded so that we can each grow stronger. Sasuke will not fall unless you fall first."**

"_Sasuke will __**not**__ fall!"_

"**Then show me."**

Itachi started as his entire arm suddenly became engulfed in flames. The older man hastily snatched his limb back to his side, eyes widening as the flame persisted as it traveled across his chest. With a few frantic hand motions Itachi managed to extinguish the fire, only to gasp as the blonde went barreling into his chest in the exact spot he had just been burned, forcing the man to fall backwards with a grunt.

"What-" he began, only to wince as the ground beneath him crackled with sheer energy. The wind around him concentrated and then lashed out at him, slicing his face and arms before Itachi managed to erect a barrier using his chakra.

"You!" the man exclaimed, eyes widening. "How-!?"

Naruto stood in front of him with a fanged grin and renewed vigor.

"Five tails, mother fucker."

* * *

AlexandriteSky: Sorry if this chapter was a little confusing, but I plan on clarifying a lot of it in the next few chapters! Not a lot of Sasuke action in this chapter, but he'll get to do his part as well. Thanks so much for reading, you guys are seriously the best! Please leave a review on your way out, it would mean so much to me!


	27. Compatibility V

Many thanks to: **moocow4me, TearsDrippingDown, FireCrackingShrimpEater, Seba-chan, Pypera, AbsoluteReader1995, Moonillusion, SweetMary16, Narutopokefan, xRememberxMe, kage kitsune no yami, ovicati, randomKittyX3, Goshikku Hime wa Yami-san, OceanSprings, FaLLenANgel4545, VampirePrinssess, TKM, JustCallMeMoMo, 26, and winsteralwaysrox **for your wonderful reviews! You guys are the best!

* * *

_Something was different._

Sasuke glanced up in time to witness Itachi fall backwards, the comforting warmth of Naruto's power flooding the room with the blonde standing at its center. While part of it lashed out at Itachi aggressively, the remainder separated from its core in lazy tendrils and headed towards the raven-haired male; Sasuke watched, fascinated, as it touched him gently before infusing into him.

_Strange_.

_Just a moment ago he had given up._

_Yet now…_

_Why did he suddenly feel so calm?_

The bond between him and the blonde vibrated, humming incessantly as if suddenly coming to life. A block that had previously been placed was lifted; never before had Sasuke felt so _exhilarated_, despite not knowing the cause.

He could feel the energy flowing through him, nourishing him with its power as it bypassed the seals set in place by the chains that bound him. Sasuke found that he could manipulate it almost as if it was his own, and it obeyed his will with absolute obedience. Just like its owner, the energy responded to every command with utmost compliance, bending and spiraling in response to even the most delicate thought.

The possibilities were overwhelming.

Sasuke fought to maintain an even countenance. This rare opportunity would be ruined if Itachi realized that Naruto had done more than just launch an assault; Sasuke knew that he would have to bide his time until the perfect moment to strike.

"Sorry 'Suke." His blonde spoke up, looking apologetic. "I didn't realize it 'til now, but I've been holding both of us back. I fixed it though." Naruto's tails swayed lazily behind him, showing off their full glory as they stretched and then relaxed.

_What on earth could the stupid fox be apologizing for?_ Sasuke wondered.

"I think I put something there to protect myself. To protect both of us." Naruto continued. "In the back of my mind, I guess I was still too scared of losing someone again and closed myself off."

_Ah. The bond._

_Was this the first time it was truly open?_

"I didn't want to be alone again." The blonde's lower lip trembled and he suddenly looked very, _very _small. "I didn't want to go back to that darkness. I wanted-"

"I get it." Sasuke interrupted. "I get it, okay?"

"But-"

"I get it." Sasuke repeated for a third time.

_It's fine._

Naruto stared at him before nodding.

"Okay." He smiled, and Sasuke found himself returning the gesture with the smallest tug of his lips.

"Impossible." Itachi ground out, straightening as he clutched his chest. "How were you able to gain two tails in such a short time!?"

"I'll always grow stronger as long as I'm with Sasuke." Naruto replied simply, crouching down into an offensive stance as sapphire eyes reverted back to a piercing glare. "I won't let you take me away from him."

_He controls the wind element as well._ Sasuke realized, watching as the air around Itachi twisted and compressed against the older man's barrier, threatening to tear him to pieces should he drop his guard.

"Amazing." His older brother sighed, his expression switching from initial shock to greedy interest as he gazed at the wary blonde. "Your potential is endless. It is overwhelming to realize that such power is only a ninth of its original form."

"I'm not ever returning to that form." Naruto replied stubbornly.

Itachi shook his head. "What a pity. It seems you truly leave us with no other choice."

"Shut up! I've had enough of your stupid voice!" Naruto snarled, assaulting Itachi's barrier with a mighty gust of wind. With a wave of his hand the blonde incorporated flame into the attack, creating a spiral of flame and energy that continuously whipped against Itachi's defenses. For a moment it looked as though he was succeeding; Itachi was slowly being pushed back, seemingly overcome by Naruto's power.

"I'm going to end you once and for all, bastard! I'll never forgive you for what you did to Sasuke!" the blonde hollered, putting even more strength into his attack as his tails flared behind him. The sheer force of his energy radiated throughout the room, causing the building to tremble as perspiration ran down the side of the blonde's face.

Sasuke frowned as Itachi seemingly struggled to remain standing.

_Something was wrong._

Even though Naruto had grown drastically stronger, Itachi wasn't this weak.

With this level of power, he would have never been able to wipe out the Uchiha clan, who had dedicated their entire blood line to producing the strongest warriors.

The raven-haired male frantically searched for any inconsistencies, his nerves tingling as they fought to remain focused despite Naruto's awesome display of power.

_What could it be…?_

From across the room, Itachi met his eyes, and Sasuke felt his blood turn to ice.

"You're too late, little brother." The man smiled.

_No._

_Nononono._

"NARUTO!" Sasuke screamed, yelling louder than he had ever done in his life. Time seemed to slow as the blonde slowly turned to face him, sapphire eyes questioning as pink lips parted to reply.

"'Suke?" the blonde asked sweetly before his eyes widened and his pupils dilated. Behind him stood Itachi's anima, the shark-like man smirking widely as his sword protruded from Naruto's stomach.

"Got ya, fucking fox." Kisame hissed gleefully, fluidly pulling his sword out. Blood gurgled in the back of Naruto's throat as he stumbled forward, face frozen in shock as his hands went to the hole in his stomach which was now causing a large pool of blood to form beneath him.

Unfocused sapphire eyes met horrified onyx ones as the blonde switched back and forth from fox to human, both convulsing equally as he fell to the floor.

"'Suke…" the blonde whispered.

"Kisame. I do hope you left him alive." Itachi spoke disapprovingly.

"Oh don't get your panties in a bunch. One of the original nine won't die from such a _small _wound. Not _yet_, anyways; not as long as he doesn't lie there for too long." Kisame laughed before licking his blade. "But since the opportunity's here…"

He lifted his blade again, the tip hovering over Naruto's right leg. "Don't you think it would solve a lot of our problems in the future if we clip his feathers now?" he sneered. "Brat can't fly away if he ain't got wings."

"I applaud you on your foresight, Kisame." Itachi answered thoughtfully, eyes cold. "Do it."

"_Chidori."_

Before the shark could lower his sword, a condensed form of raw electricity came flying at him, striking the anima square in the chest and sending him rocketing cleanly through the back wall. There the anima lay, most of his ribs broken from the blow with one puncturing his lungs. Indifferent to the result of his attack Sasuke stood over the blonde, finally free from the chains as the sharingan spun murderously in his eyes.

"You've grown stronger, little brother." Itachi observed, staring indifferently after his partner. "Kisame is not so easily tossed aside."

Sasuke did not reply as he kneeled beside the blonde.

"Sorry 'Suke." Naruto weakly managed to sound. "…'as clumsy."

_His organs were shredded. Original nine or not, he will die if he doesn't receive medical treatment soon. _

"Rest." The raven-haired male said.

Naruto's eyes were terrified as they stared up at him. "Can't…!"

"Rest." Sasuke gently pressed his head against the blonde's.

_When this is all over, we'll go home._

The blonde's eyes gazed at him pleadingly for a moment before drifting shut, unable to refrain from losing consciousness any longer.

Sasuke rose, a barrier of spikes made of flame surrounding him as Itachi sought to take his chance to strike while his opponent was distracted. One spike scraped Itachi's arm, causing him to alter his direction and evade to the side.

"How were you able to escape?" Itachi's eyes narrowed as his own sharingan began to spin once again. "Even I know that those chains are not easily broken."

Sasuke could still feel Naruto's chakra dancing within him, mixing with his own and providing him with strength.

_I'm still with you._

_Even now, you're not alone._

"You wouldn't understand." He snarled, his fingers quickly flashing a few signals.

"_Fire release."_

Overhead several clouds formed, accumulating into an angry dark haze which loomed menacingly above both of their heads, electricity crackling within its depths. Itachi glanced upwards with a frown before his fingers formed a few signs of his own.

"I see." His brother mused with interest. "The fox has allowed you access to his own chakra. It seems-"

"_Kirin." _Sasuke hissed, forming one final sign with his fingers. With a howl the thunder congregated and struck downwards, taking on the shape of a dragon as it engulfed Itachi's form. Using his sharingan Sasuke could see his brother narrowly avoid the attack by throwing himself backwards out of range, and a large fifteen foot deep crater remained in his place, ashes signifying the fate that Itachi had just narrowly avoided.

_Fire._

_Wind._

_Everything of mine is also yours to use._

Without giving his brother time to recover Sasuke launched his next attack, combining both electricity and wind into one highly condensed ball of energy in an improvised form of the Chidori. With this he launched himself forward and collided with an attack of Itachi's own, causing sparks of each element to fly and destroy the walls around them.

A hand reached through the falling debris and latched onto Sasuke's wrist, causing the raven-haired male to wince as Itachi caused another wave of electricity to run through him. With a frantic wave of his arm Sasuke freed himself onto to have Itachi appear behind him, but the younger male repelled his attack by conjuring another barrier of flame.

"_Water release." _Itachi's voice whispered.

Sasuke grit his teeth as his barrier was struck with a dragon that had been shaped much like his own, his hands shaking from the effort it took to maintain the barrier as Itachi grinned out of the corner of his eyes.

"Try again, little brother."

Sasuke gave a cry of pain as Itachi's attack pushed through, striking him in the back. Though the blow was painful, the younger male had managed to keep the strike from being fatal by creating a cushion of air to buffer the attack, preventing any vital organs from being crushed. He stumbled forward a few steps before catching himself, his fingers moving as he turned around to send a jolt of electricity through the dragon of water and at his smirking brother.

"Almost."

Itachi erected his own barrier of flame and Sasuke's attack bounced harmlessly off, very narrowly avoiding the location in which Naruto lay. The raven-haired male inhaled sharply, his jaw clenching as he took in Naruto's much too pale complexion.

_Running out of time._

_At this rate…!_

Itachi knew it as well.

"You've realized too, haven't you little brother?" the man smiled. "With your current power, you cannot beat me. Not in time to save your little fox."

Sasuke's fists clenched.

"You have two options. We can either fight until he dies, or you can give him to me and I will save his life." His older brother explained evenly.

Blood trickled down from Sasuke's palms. "I won't let you have him!" he hissed.

"Then you are choosing his death." Itachi replied.

Sasuke's hand shook as he gazed over at his fallen fox.

He couldn't let Itachi have him.

He _couldn't_.

But if Naruto were to die…

_He'd be alone again._

_He'd be no different than when he was a child, after Itachi had taken everything away._

_Everything would end if the blonde died._

_Everything would be over._

_Sasuke Uchiha would truly have nothing. _

_If Naruto could live…if Naruto could be saved…_

_There would still be hope._

_There would still be something to fight for._

_There would still be something to die for._

"_**Sasuke's existence is everything." Naruto growled stubbornly.**_

_So is yours, idiot._

"How about a third choice?"

The new voice startled both occupants in the room. Sasuke and Itachi both turned to see Sarutobi standing in front of the hole leading into the building, the other council members standing beside him with a host of ANBU members standing behind him, each poised and ready to attack. The hokage presented a powerful sight despite his old age, with his cape flaring behind him majestically as he gazed at Itachi with a piercing stare.

"Itachi." He spoke, walking forward slowly with sheer energy crackling around each step that he took. "Did you really think you could infiltrate Konoha undetected?"

Itachi drew back, his eyes hateful as he assessed the situation. Clearly outmatched, the older male sneered spitefully.

"It seems that you are saved, little brother." He spoke before disappearing, taking Kisame's unconscious form with him.

The next few moments happened in a blur as Sarutobi barked out his orders, ordering his men to search for Itachi and prevent his escape from the city. Sasuke stood in the middle of it all, his eyes unfocused as his mind remained unable to comprehend the suddenly change in situation.

_It was over…?_

_Just like that?_

"Sasuke."

_Itachi was… gone?_

"Sasuke!"

_Was this really how their first meeting would end?_

"SASUKE!"

The raven-haired male was startled out of his stupor by the familiar voice calling his name, and he turned to see Sakura shouting for him urgently, emerald eyes expressing deep concern as she tugged on his arm.

"Your Anima." She spoke, commandeering his attention at once and bringing him back to the fox's dire condition.

"How is he?" he demanded, grabbing both of her shoulders. "He needs medical attention! He has a hole in his stomach-"

"I know Sasuke, I've already looked him over!" the pink-haired woman exclaimed. "But he won't let anybody touch him! Sasuke, you need to calm him down before he kills himself!"

Without another word Sasuke rushed over to the blonde who was currently surrounded by a group of medic-nins attempting to hold him down, only to be continuously rejected by a barrier of flame and wind.

"No!" the blonde was crying, blood spurting from his wound as he flailed weakly. "'Suke!"

"I'm here, dumbass." Sasuke knelt beside him. The barrier instantly receded leaving Naruto's small form shaking incessantly. The blonde's eyes were wild as they frantically twitched from side to side, an unnatural amount of perspiration dripping down his face.

"Itachi-!"

"Gone." Sasuke replied. Naruto seemed to relax a bit, though one trembling hand lifted to grip tightly onto Sasuke's sleeve. A gentle touch asked for his attention, and Sasuke turned to see Sakura with a syringe in her hand.

"He needs to calm down; his body and his mind are in shock from the loss of blood." She explained. "Once he's subdued I can start working on him."

"I'll do it." The raven-haired man stated, holding his hand out.

Sakura glanced at him in shock. "But-!"

"Give me the damn thing!" Sasuke snapped, uncaring when Sakura flinched visibly. She handed the tranquilizer over to him wordlessly, her brow furrowed with worry as she took a step back. Foggy cerulean eyes stared at the needle curiously, though Naruto remained still as Sasuke returned to giving him his full attention.

"Hey. You're going to have to sleep for a bit." The raven-haired male explained gently.

The blonde looked like a lost child as he gazed up at him with wide eyes. "Is it okay?" he asked.

"Yeah." Sasuke replied.

"Itachi's really gone?"

"Yeah." The raven-haired male smiled. Naruto openly gaped at seeing the rare expression cross his master's face before laying his head down in acceptance.

"Okay."

Sasuke sifted one hand through blonde hair, ignoring the coagulated blood that dyed certain chunks crimson. Naruto's eyes slowly closed as he relished in the feeling of the warmth against him, his breaths shallow as the raven-haired male petted his head and rubbed his ears.

"You did well, Naruto."

The blonde offered no resistance as Sasuke injected the drug into his arm with his other hand, and seconds later the blonde was out cold. The raven-haired male stood back as Sakura and the rest of the medic-nins rushed forward to begin working on the blonde's wound, with another two coming forward to look over his wounds as well.

"You have my praise, Sasuke." Sarutobi came over, his strides full of purpose. "Somehow, you managed to fend off one of the most dangerous criminals that has ever graced this village."

Sasuke nodded dumbly as slowly, slowly, he began to absorb the events that had just transpired.

He had met Itachi again.

He had _survived_.

He wasn't strong enough yet.

_But he was close._

Sasuke's hands shook.

_Next time._

_Next time, for sure. _

"'Suke…" Naruto whined, still unconscious. The medic-nins paused momentarily, looking down at their sleeping patient with quizzical expressions.

"…Ramen…"

* * *

AlexandriteSky: Whew! I'm exhausted! Thank you so much for reading, and please leave a review! I always love hearing your feedback!


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